The Phoenix Suns solidified their frontline by acquiring 10-year NBA veteran Kurt Thomas from the New York Knicks today in exchange for swingman Quentin Richardson and the draft rights to Nate Robinson, the 21^st pick in the 2005 NBA Draft. The Knicks also traded to Phoenix the draft rights to guard/forward Dijon Thompson, the 54^th pick.

Last season Thomas averaged 11.5 points, a career-high 10.4 rebounds (T-6^th in the NBA), 2.0 assists and shot .471 from the floor in 35.7 minutes. He joined Suns All-Stars Steve Nash and Shawn Marion as one of only nine NBA players who averaged a double-double (and qualified among the league leaders). The 6-9, 235-pound forward/center was tied for third in the NBA with 661 total defensive rebounds, trailing only Minnesota’s Kevin Garnett and Marion, and his 32 double-doubles ranked 12^th in the league.

Thomas, originally selected by the Miami Heat with the 10^th pick in the 1995 NBA Draft, owns career averages of 10.8 points, 7.6 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 627 games (463 starts) with three teams (Miami, Dallas, New York). He averaged double figures in points in each of the last five seasons, including a career-high 14.0 scoring average in 2002-03, and has ranked in the top 20 in rebounding in each of the last four seasons. The 32-year-old has improved with age, averaging 12.2 points and 8.5 rebounds in 400 games over the last five seasons after averaging 8.2 points and 6.0 rebounds in 227 games in his first five seasons.

A member of the Knicks’ 1999 Eastern Conference Championship team, Thomas averaged 13.7 points and 11.3 rebounds on .479 shooting over his last two postseasons in nine games (2001, 2004) and averaged 6.5 points and 5.8 rebounds in 48 career playoff games with Miami and New York.

A durable performer, Thomas missed just seven games due to injury-illness in seven seasons with New York (three in 2000-01, one in 2002-03, one in 2003-04, two in 2004-05) after being plagued by injuries early in his career with Miami and Dallas. Thomas departs the Knicks ranking in 21^st place on the team’s career scoring list with 5,930 points, ninth with 4,183 rebounds and fourth with 463 blocked shots.

The former Texas Christian star, who led NCAA Division I in both scoring (28.9) and rebounding (14.6) as a senior in 1994-95, enjoyed great success against the Suns in 2004-05, hauling in a career-high 21 rebounds at Phoenix on Feb. 5 and scored a season-high 24 points vs. the Suns on Jan. 25.

An active member of the community, Thomas won the NBA’s Community Assist Award in June 2004 and will wear jersey No. 40 with Phoenix.

Thompson, the 54^th pick in the second round, averaged 18.4 points (fourth in the Pac-10) and 7.9 rebounds (third) in 28 games in his senior season at UCLA. The 6-7, 195-pound swingman, who originally declared for the 2004 NBA Draft before withdrawing his name from consideration, averaged 12.5 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.1 steals in 117 career games (72 starts) with the Bruins.

In his first season with Phoenix and fifth overall, Richardson averaged 14.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 35.9 minutes in 2004-05. The 6-6, 230-pound guard/forward shared the league lead in three-point field goals made with 226 along with Philadelphia’s Kyle Korver and led the NBA with 631 three-point field goals attempted, both were franchise records (prev. Dan Majerle, 199 3FG and 548 3FGA in 1994-95). Richardson was also the first player in team history to be crowned the Foot Locker Three-Point Shootout champion during the 2005 All-Star Weekend in Denver.

Richardson, who played his first four NBA seasons with the Los Angeles Clippers, has averaged 12.6 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 360 career games (183 starts).

This was the second trade between the two clubs in the last 18 months after completing an eight-player trade on Jan. 5, 2004.

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