Before last season's deadline, the Phoenix Suns finally found a trade partner for Jusuf Nurkić, sending him to the Hornets, along with a 2026 first-round pick. Now, with the 2026 deadline almost two months away, Nurkić is a candidate to be traded again (subscription required), as NBA insider Jake Fischer wrote on Wednesday that the big man is "expected to generate some trade interest from rival teams as he plays out his own $19.3 million expiring deal."
Nurkić played 26 games in Charlotte to finish the 2024-25 season, and over the summer, the Hornets traded him to the Jazz for Collin Sexton and a 2030 second-round pick. In Utah, Nurkić is averaging 7.5 points, 9.6 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.8 steals per game, shooting 41.1% from the field in 24.7 minutes across 16 contests (11 starts).
Fischer predicted that there will be "some significant center movement on the trade market in the coming weeks," tying it into the rise in zone defense.
The Suns went from sending a first-round pick with Nurkić in the trade to the Hornets to the Jazz receiving a first-round pick in a trade for Nurkić. Just kidding. Danny Ainge can't even work that kind of magic, but given the direction that Utah is headed in, Nurkić's name should pop up more in trade rumors once the deadline draws nearer.
Former Suns center Jusuf Nurkić could be traded again before the deadline
Once Feb. 5 passes, Nurkić could suit up for his fourth team in the past year. The season and a half that he spent in the desert could be the longest time he spent with a team after the Trail Blazers trade, once his NBA career ends. He should've known that he wouldn't spend much time in Charlotte or Salt Lake City.
Utah presented Nurkić with an unexpected opportunity to be the starting center after Walker Kessler opted for season-ending shoulder surgery. At this stage in Nurkić's career, he's not meant to be a starting center, at least not for a team trying to be competitive.
The Jazz are 5-12, 11th in the West, so if they want to try to make a push for the play-in, they could look for an upgrade on the market. Never mind that it'd be in Utah's best interest to tank so that OKC won't receive its first-round pick. Whatever direction the Jazz take, a Nurkić trade could be in their plans.