The Portland Trail Blazers are focused on trading center Jusuf Nurkic, according to NBA insider Matt Moore.
Nurkic signed a four-year, $70 million contract with the Blazers in July 2022. He’ll make $16.9 million next season.
“The Blazers have been focused on moving center Jusuf Nurkic, sources say, and this is the most crucial component in their situation,” Moore wrote. “The Blazers can score, but they have to be able to defend. Damian Lillard can’t effectively get over screens, meaning you need a versatile defensive center next to him. … Portland is stacked coming into the draft. The Trail Blazers have a young player with upside on a long-term contract in Simons, contract filler like Jusuf Nurkic, last year’s No.7 pick, Shaedon Sharpe, if the offer is enticing enough, and the No.3 pick in this year’s draft.”
Nurkic averaged 13.3 points and 9.1 rebounds this past season for the Blazers while shooting 51.9% from the field, 36.1% from beyond the arc and 66.1% from the free-throw line. The 28-year-old played in 52 games.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Jusuf Nurkic & Portland Trail Blazers Updates
The Blazers have the third overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. They could trade Nurkic, Anfernee Simons and the pick for a star this offseason. Superstar Damian Lillard hasn’t requested a trade from Portland, but that could change if the Blazers don’t get him more help.
Nurkic has career averages of 12.3 points and 8.6 rebounds with the Denver Nuggets and Blazers. While he’s close friends with Lillard, Nurkic’s time in Portland could come to an end this offseason.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Jusuf Nurkic & Portland Trail Blazers Updates
The Blazers won only 33 games this past season. It will be interesting to see what the franchise does this offseason with Nurkic, Simons and the third pick in the 2023 draft.
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