3 problems the Suns solved at the NBA Draft
By Luke Duffy
2. Begin to faze out Jusuf Nurkic
Center Jusuf Nurkic was excellent for the Suns last season, but the playoffs exposed the harsh reality that as long as he is a major contributor, there is a ceiling on how good this team can be. At two years and $37 million remaining on his current deal, the franchise will likely hope to trade him down the road.
Being in the second apron makes that more difficult though, so the arrival of Ighodaro and Bridges if nothing else can help to start the transition away from Nurkic. Assuming he does stick around, he still has a place on this roster. Most likely as a starter for the coming season, just perhaps not a closer.
If one of the two young bigs was to really catch on - or even if the Suns go and get another veteran with the minimum - then Nurkic could become an excellent backup big man. One of the better players in the league in that role, with Drew Eubanks having recently departed The Valley after an underwhelming campaign.
No matter what way you chop it up though, Nurkic's role with the Suns as we know it is going to change as a result of this draft, and the organization will profit from it. He is still capable of playing his part, but taking him off the court when the matchup or playoff series calls for it and not being forced to use him in favor of and athletic and bouncy big sounds very appealing if you're the Suns.