3. Jusuf Nurkic
The Suns sent Deandre Ayton to the Blazers in the Damian Lillard trade to get back Nurkic. The 6’11 big man has his flaws, but the Suns targeted him. Can he stay healthy and be a difference-maker in Phoenix?
Nurkic has played just 153 games over the last four seasons combined or just 38.3 per season. Injuries have been a problem, but he is currently healthy. The Suns need him to rebound, protect the rim, and make plays. The 29-year-old should still be in his prime but has plenty to prove in his new home.
Nurkic has three years and $54.4 million remaining on his contract. The second tax apron will prevent the Suns from aggregating contracts in trades next summer, so they need him to be their starting center of the present and future. If not, the franchise must trade him before the deadline or the team’s best bet will be splitting his contract into a couple smaller deals.
Phoenix has Drew Eubanks, Chimezie Metu, and Bol Bol backing up Nurkic, but none of those three have started more than 33 games in a season. The Suns targeted The Bosnian Beast in the Deandre Ayton trade, so fans should expect him to stick. There will be massive screens and strong rebounding, but can he stay healthy and be impactful on the defensive end in Phoenix?