The Portland Trail Blazers have traded Jusuf Nurkic to the Phoenix Suns, according to multiple NBA reports.
Nurkic signed a four-year, $70 million contract with the Blazers in July 2022. He’ll make $16.9 million next season. The center averaged 13.3 points and 9.1 rebounds last season 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, Phoenix Suns, Portland Trail Blazers Updates
Nurkic has career NBA averages of 12.3 points and 8.6 rebounds with the Denver Nuggets and Blazers. He’s close friends with Damian Lillard, who was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks. Most people around the NBA believed Nurkic was going to be traded as part of a multi-team Lillard deal.
The Suns are expected to start Bradley Beal, Devin Booker, Josh Okogie, Kevin Durant and Nurkic next season. Phoenix acquired Beal from the Washington Wizards in the blockbuster Chris Paul trade.
Deandre Ayton averaged 18.0 points, 10.0 rebounds and 1.7 assists last season while shooting 58.9% from the field and 76.0% from the free-throw line. He recorded 36 double-doubles and helped Phoenix win 45 games in the regular season.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Jusuf Nurkic, Phoenix Suns, Portland Trail Blazers Updates
However, Ayton’s level of play dropped in the 2023 playoffs. The first pick in the 2018 NBA Draft averaged 13.4 points and 9.7 rebounds in 10 games versus the Los Angeles Clippers and Nuggets. Ayton put up 10.8 points and 8.2 rebounds per game in the Nuggets series and didn’t register a positive plus-minus rating in any game.
New Suns head coach Frank Vogel, who won the 2020 NBA title with the Los Angeles Lakers, will be coaching a talented team next season.
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