Bradley Beal may be the most famous member of the Phoenix Suns that the front office is currently struggling to trade, but he’s not the only veteran on the block. Veteran center Jusuf Nurkic was benched earlier this season, and in a perfect world, the Suns would love to use his $18.1 million salary to land a difference-maker. In the meantime, though, he is still a member of the Suns and is working through those difficult circumstances.
In an interview with Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic, Nurkic revealed that he and Suns coach Mike Budenholzer went through a two-month stretch without speaking, including when he was benched earlier in January. He has not seen the floor since Jan. 7.
“We don’t have a relationship,” Nurkic said. “So, it’s fine. For me, just be a pro and do the best I can. Work and stay ready for whatever might be, but there is no chaos or bringing that to this team. They already have plenty of it. Trying to be as professional as I can and work my ass off for something else.”
Budenholzer himself has indicated that he did communicate the team’s plans to Nurkic, who is averaging 8.6 points and 9.2 rebounds per game and is in the third year of a four-year, $70-million deal he signed with the Portland Trail Blazers.
“There’s been conversations that have been had,” Budenholzer said after Saturday’s win over the Washington Wizards. “There’s been communication, but we’ve got three or four guys that play the same position. We’re going to go with who we think gives us our best chance. You’ve got to earn your minutes. And that’s been communicated.”
The Suns are currently starting Nick Richards, recently acquired in a trade with the Charlotte Hornets, at center. However, Nurkic was benched along with Beal before the Richards acquisition. The Suns have Mason Plumlee and Oso Ighodaro at center, but no one at the position has acquitted himself especially well all things considered. The Suns have an extremely top-heavy salary structure with Beal, Kevin Durant and Devin Booker all making max money. Therefore, weaknesses at other positions were almost inevitable.
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Still, Phoenix surely hoped for more out of the pricey Nurkic than they’ve gotten. Their relationship began, at least initially, as a marriage of convenience. Deandre Ayton no longer wanted to play for the Suns, and the team interested in acquiring him, the Blazers, had Nurkic to send back in a trade. However, his offense-first skill set didn’t fit the needs of the defense-needy Suns.
Nurkic’s limited mobility has severely limited what he can give Phoenix on that end of the floor. But unlike prior slow Budenholzer big man Brook Lopez, he is not a strong stationary rim protector either. That left him without an obvious role for the Suns, and halfway through a disappointing season, the Suns decided to bench him.
Phoenix recently traded one unprotected first-round pick to the Utah Jazz in exchange for three lesser first-round picks. The idea, seemingly, was to make it easier to pay multiple teams across several possible deadline deals. That could potentially make it possible for them to trade Nurkic without compromising their ability to acquire Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler, but with 10 days before the deadline, it’s too early to say anything with certainty.
For now, Nurkic remains on the team, and nobody seems especially happy about it.
