Jusuf Nurkic Won't Cause Problems For Suns After Benching, Trade Rumors

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Jusuf Nurkic Won't Cause Problems For Suns After Benching, Trade Rumors 

Post#1 » by RealGM Wiretap » Thu Jan 9, 2025 2:16 pm

Jusuf Nurkic acknowledge that he and his representatives met with Phoenix Suns leadership in the wake of his move to the bench. Nurkic also said trade rumors swirling around him were addressed.


"They were completely transparent that they’re not looking to shop us or whatever, but also, we’re not kids," Nurkic said. "We understand that this is part of the job. There’s nothing you can do, at least in my situation."


Nurkic has been traded before in his career, as well has having been benched. The veteran center said he's better equipped to deal with situations like that now, than he was earlier in his career.


"At the end of the day, I’ve been long enough in this league and certainly, no one cares," Nurkic said. "At this point, the only choice I have is to be a pro and that’s what I’m going to do. I don’t want to make problems for my teammates or for the organization. I’ll be a pro as much as possible and do what people ask of me. Control what I can control and that’s the only way I can be."

Via Duane Rankin/The Arizona Republic

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Re: Jusuf Nurkic Won't Cause Problems For Suns After Benching, Trade Rumors 

Post#2 » by Scalabrine » Thu Jan 9, 2025 5:52 pm

Such a dumpster fire of a team right now. The energy and cohesiveness is not gonna fix itself with this team and they are backed so far into a corner that it's going to be very difficult to get out of. They only have themselves to blame too. It's honestly a pretty poetic way for Durant to fade out his prime. After years of manipulating his way from team to team. Forcing teams to make moves and trying to micro-manage every step of the way, he's not just stuck on a team that can barely even stay in the play-in. I'm sure he'll orchestrate one last move to get himself out of the mess he created, but there really aren't that many teams that can actually pull it off.

The Kings are the only team that would maybe take a bite out of that apple and have the cap flexibility to do it. Not sure any other team have both of; 1) the ability to trade for him from cap rules stand points 2) a package of contracts/picks to add together together that would make the Suns want to do it. It's just such a messy situation.
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Re: Jusuf Nurkic Won't Cause Problems For Suns After Benching, Trade Rumors 

Post#3 » by Cassius » Thu Jan 9, 2025 9:12 pm

Scalabrine wrote:The Kings are the only team that would maybe take a bite out of that apple and have the cap flexibility to do it. Not sure any other team have both of; 1) the ability to trade for him from cap rules stand points 2) a package of contracts/picks to add together together that would make the Suns want to do it. It's just such a messy situation.


The Kings are a great call as a team with an even simpler owner, but Houston traded those Nets picks with KD in mind. A more logical trade would be for Houston to send Sheppard (sell him as Nash 2.0), picks and filler to Phoenix, KD is sent to Sacramento as the ultimate self-pwn to end his career in the literal shadow of the Warriors (they can take Monte so there's one PG), while De'Aaron Fox goes home to Houston to play with a younger version of Sabonis.

The dumbest trade would be Fox for KD "straight up" and that's why it will probably happen.
I_Like_Dirt wrote:The whole comparison to Kevin McHale is ridiculously close, imo... And that's without more hilarious aspects of the comparison, e.g. if Wally Sczerbiak were 7 feet tall with the slower reflexes that came with the additional height, he'd be Bargnani.
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Re: Jusuf Nurkic Won't Cause Problems For Suns After Benching, Trade Rumors 

Post#4 » by Scalabrine » Thu Jan 9, 2025 10:14 pm

Cassius wrote:
Scalabrine wrote:The Kings are the only team that would maybe take a bite out of that apple and have the cap flexibility to do it. Not sure any other team have both of; 1) the ability to trade for him from cap rules stand points 2) a package of contracts/picks to add together together that would make the Suns want to do it. It's just such a messy situation.


The Kings are a great call as a team with an even simpler owner, but Houston traded those Nets picks with KD in mind. A more logical trade would be for Houston to send Sheppard (sell him as Nash 2.0), picks and filler to Phoenix, KD is sent to Sacramento as the ultimate self-pwn to end his career in the literal shadow of the Warriors (they can take Monte so there's one PG), while De'Aaron Fox goes home to Houston to play with a younger version of Sabonis.

The dumbest trade would be Fox for KD "straight up" and that's why it will probably happen.


I don't think it'd be Fox for KD but I guess dumber things have happened. If the Kings are gonna do this, it'd be to pair Durant with Fox and Sabonis, anything else doesn't move the needle enough.

Heres something that appears to work under the new trade rules:

Suns trade:
Kevin Durant
Monte Morris
Ryan Dunn

Kings trade:
DeMar Derozan
Kevin Huerter
Keegan Murray
**Kings also have up to 4 FRPs to trade**

Kings take one more big swing around this core by upgrading Derozan and selling high on Murray. Maybe the Suns would rather the picks over Murray and theres a world where they trade all the picks/swaps and keep Murray.

Kings:
Sabonis/Lyles/Len
Durant/Lyles/Crowder
Ellis/Dunn/McDermott
Monk/Carter/Ellis
Fox/Morris/Monk

Suns start the scrap process by getting a pretty good prospect in Murray plus some more win-now pieces in Derozan and Huerter. They don't have picks anyway, so may as well stay competitive for now.

Suns
Nurkic/Plumlee/Bol
Murray/O'Neale/Okogie
Derozan/Allen
Booker/Beal
Jones/Booker

I'd personally do a full blow-up. This thing is F'd. I'd start selling off Nurkic, O'Neale, Allen for whatever picks/prospects they can get. Take on unwanted contracts if it means that they get more assets. Tyus Jones should be a pretty nice piece that they could put with any of those guys to get something good. I'd float out Booker for a massive haul and see what you can get but that trade probably doesn't happen until the off-season.
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Re: Jusuf Nurkic Won't Cause Problems For Suns After Benching, Trade Rumors 

Post#5 » by Cassius » Fri Jan 10, 2025 1:36 am

Scalabrine wrote:
Cassius wrote:
Scalabrine wrote:The Kings are the only team that would maybe take a bite out of that apple and have the cap flexibility to do it. Not sure any other team have both of; 1) the ability to trade for him from cap rules stand points 2) a package of contracts/picks to add together together that would make the Suns want to do it. It's just such a messy situation.


The Kings are a great call as a team with an even simpler owner, but Houston traded those Nets picks with KD in mind. A more logical trade would be for Houston to send Sheppard (sell him as Nash 2.0), picks and filler to Phoenix, KD is sent to Sacramento as the ultimate self-pwn to end his career in the literal shadow of the Warriors (they can take Monte so there's one PG), while De'Aaron Fox goes home to Houston to play with a younger version of Sabonis.

The dumbest trade would be Fox for KD "straight up" and that's why it will probably happen.


I don't think it'd be Fox for KD but I guess dumber things have happened. If the Kings are gonna do this, it'd be to pair Durant with Fox and Sabonis, anything else doesn't move the needle enough.

Heres something that appears to work under the new trade rules:

Suns trade:
Kevin Durant
Monte Morris
Ryan Dunn

Kings trade:
DeMar Derozan
Kevin Huerter
Keegan Murray
**Kings also have up to 4 FRPs to trade**

Kings take one more big swing around this core by upgrading Derozan and selling high on Murray. Maybe the Suns would rather the picks over Murray and theres a world where they trade all the picks/swaps and keep Murray.

Kings:
Sabonis/Lyles/Len
Durant/Lyles/Crowder
Ellis/Dunn/McDermott
Monk/Carter/Ellis
Fox/Morris/Monk


Knowing the Kings, they'd probably overpay, but if they could actually hold onto Murray and send out the 4 firsts instead... they'd actually have a punchers chance to reach the conference finals (assuming Denver finishes 4th), with Murray moving Monk back to the bench so they can start a functional defense. KD facing off against OKC in the WCF would be great TV.
I_Like_Dirt wrote:The whole comparison to Kevin McHale is ridiculously close, imo... And that's without more hilarious aspects of the comparison, e.g. if Wally Sczerbiak were 7 feet tall with the slower reflexes that came with the additional height, he'd be Bargnani.

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