The Portland Trail Blazers traded Jusuf Nurkic to the Suns in the Damian Lillard deal. They got back Deandre Ayton, Toumani Camara, Jrue Holiday, and multiple draft picks. Holiday was flipped to Boston, and Camara has blossomed into a starter in Rip City. Things have not gone swimmingly with Ayton, but the Blazers were eager to move on from Nurkic’s contract.
The seven-footer spent six and a half seasons in Portland. He played on five playoff teams but missed the Blazers 2019 run to the conference finals with a broken leg. He started all but one of his 324 games in Portland and often produced strong numbers. There were still questions about the team’s ceiling. Damian Lillard was elite, but could Portland win in the playoffs with Nurkic as their starting center?
First-year Suns head coach Mike Budenholzer is starting to realize why. Nurkic is struggling so far this season and facing another injury. The many reasons the Blazers wanted to move on are showing up in Phoenix and leaving the Suns with no easy solution.
Mike Budenholzer is realizing how difficult it is to count on Jusuf Nurkic
The Suns are starting Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, Bradley Beal, and Tyus Jones. They desperately need a center to rebound and protect the rim with that group. Nurkic is their best option, but his production is down across the board. There are fewer touches and scoring opportunities, but that does not explain the drop-off in his defense.
The Suns have a 114.9 defensive rating when he is on the court, which would rank in the bottom ten in the NBA over the full season. His inconsistency can be maddening and goes back to his days in Portland. During his final season with the Blazers, he had 13 games where he scored 20-plus points and 16 where he finished in single digits.
Injuries have long been an issue. Nurkic has missed the last five games and has played in just 16 of their 23 contests so far this season. He was out for extended stretches in four of his six full seasons with the Blazers. The Suns cannot expect him to play more than 60 regular season games, especially with Nurkic in his 30s.
It will be interesting to see what coach Bud does when Nurkic is healthy. Does he limit his minutes in favor of Mason Plumlee or rookie Oso Ighodaro? Can the Suns acquire an upgrade? They are limited by the second tax apron but may be forced to get creative to get something done.
Phoenix is in a championship-or-bust season. They need Jusuf Nurkic to be an above-average center to have a legitimate shot, but counting on him is dangerous. The Portland Trail Blazers know too well. Their one playoff run came with Nurkic on the sidelines, and the Suns may have to do the same. Even when healthy, it is difficult to know what he will offer when the games matter most.