Despite the numerous restrictions in place for the Phoenix Suns as a result of being in the second apron, they have had a nice offseason so far. The cherry on top of adding two players in the draft, Monte Morris and Mason Plumlee would surely be this guy, but all in all it has not been too bad.
With Bol Bol also coming back and Josh Okogie looking like he'll return to The Valley as well, there is every reason to believe next season's version of the Suns will be better than what they put on the court last season. As long as they have Devin Booker and Kevin Durant, they have a chance, at least according to owner Mat Ishbia.
But if the Suns could somehow trade center Jusuf Nurkic, they would surely be a step closer to contention.
Finding a trade partner will be difficult, but this is also the franchise that managed to add Bradley Beal last summer. The front office have been turning water into wine for a minute now, but moving Nurkic would be the most important houdini act of the decade for the organization. But can they make it happen?
Why they will be able to trade Nurkic
Believe it or not, there is a path to moving Nurkic, and it starts with his contract. Right now he is entering the second last year of his current deal, and is due to make $37 million across the next two seasons. What that means is that Nurkic is approaching becoming an expiring contract.
On top of that, the $18 million he is making for this coming season is a nice number to be able to trade. As a result of being in that second apron, the Suns can't stack contracts on top of each other to go and get a star player. They also can't take back a dollar more than they send out in a trade, which makes Nurkic's contract so valuable.
I've been asked about this situation a ton the last couple of days,so let's address it. A few teams have been calling about Jusuf Nurkic. From my understanding the Phoenix Suns are taking those calls,but are not in a hurry to rush a trade. They also will not make a deal just to…
— DColdest (@DColdestt) June 29, 2024
The Suns would probably have to attach a second rounder or two in order to get a deal done - they shouldn't even think about adding their 2031 first - but that wouldn't stop them if a trade partner emerged. The prospect of getting another player who could actually help, while Plumlee, Oso Igodaro and Jalen Bridges could eat up the center minutes.
Nurkic also had a bounceback season last year, making him more moveable than he was in the past. He gave the Suns basically an 11/11 each night, was a notable part of their offensive schemes and only missed six games all campaign. Bundle all that together, and the prospect of trading him suddenly doesn't seem so ridiculous.
Why they won't be able to trade Nurkic
Sadly for the Suns, the other side of the coin here is a more realistic outcome. Despite Nurkic having a solid season in his first campaign in The Valley, it became clear in the sweep at the hands of the Minnesota Timberwolves that there is only so far you can go if he is your starting center.
Yes he gives his all on both ends of the court, and he does have some kind of presence inside. But the reality is Nurkic is too slow and gets dominated by bigger centers - which the true contenders in the Western Conference possess - over a seven game series. Those aforementioned 11 points and rebounds dropped to 7.8 points and 8.3 rebounds in the playoffs.
Even worse, the NBA isn't the same as it was even 15 years ago, with far less franchises out there putting themselves in terrible positions and scrambling to get out of them. The one team out there that doesn't know if it is coming or going - the Chicago Bulls - already having a big in Nikola Vucevic who wouldn't even move the needle if the Suns could trade for him. Which they can't.
Perhaps next season Nurkic will look more appealing as he enters the final year of his deal, but even that is not a guarantee. Besides, at that point letting his contract expire to open up some cap space may be the play for the Suns themselves, although who knows what their roster will look like at that point in time. Trading him gets the organization closer to contention, but it doesn't seem likely.