A painful reminder of what the Suns lost by trading away Jusuf Nurkic

No one stops Nikola Jokic. But last night is reminder that we are missing someone who could’ve slowed him down.

Curled up in my own personal ball of hell, battling a relentless stomach sickness, I watched the Phoenix Suns fall in overtime to the Denver Nuggets. Possession after possession, I bore witness to a sight that has become all too familiar across the NBA. A complete and utter dismantling at the hands of three-time MVP Nikola Jokic.

He carved through Phoenix just as he has so many before them, adding yet another historic feat to his ever-growing résumé. 30+ points. 20+ rebounds. 20+ assists. A triple-double in each half. It was dominance in its purest form, a masterclass in basketball brilliance, and the Suns were merely his latest canvas.

Respect. That’s all you can give Jokić for what he did to the Suns last night. A team that already struggles defensively had no chance against the sheer brilliance of Nikola Jokic’s basketball IQ. He toyed with them. Saw every move before it happened. Dismantled them with ease.

But you know what? As I lay there, writhing in pain, I couldn’t shake one thought. We could’ve at least put up a fight. We could’ve bodied him up, played him physical, made him work. That’s the only way to slow him down. Not stop him. Because nobody stops him. But at least make him feel it.

Once upon a time, the Suns had someone who could do that. And in a cruel twist of irony, on the very night Phoenix was being eviscerated by the Nuggets’ center, that man was putting together a stellar performance—for the Charlotte Hornets. That’s right. As I suffered through what I assume was food poisoning, it felt more like something worse. A sickness that lingers, that festers, that haunts every Suns fan who dares to dream.

The “disease of what if”.

As the season winds down, we’ll look back at the choices made and wonder if there was a path to a different outcome? A move that could have steadied this team, made them more competitive from start to finish?

Near the top of that list will be the mishandling of Jusuf Nurkic.

What if Nurkic had played last night? We’ll never know. And in truth, it doesn’t even matter. But his absence served as yet another reminder of this season’s masterclass in roster mismanagement. Because if there’s one thing the Suns have lacked, it’s rebounding and interior defense. Opposing teams stroll into the paint, finishing with ease, completely unbothered by the lack of resistance. And why? Because Jusuf Nurkić isn’t there to contest.

Sure, he wasn’t perfect. He wasn’t the most agile. He missed dunks that made you want to punch a beer can. He had an up-and-down year offensively. All of that is true. But it’s also true that he was the Suns’ best rebounder. Their best rim protector. And they traded him for two players who have combined to play 20 seconds this season.

And that? That is the epitome of a wasted opportunity.

Last night, against the best team in the league, Jusuf Nurkic played 28 minutes, dropped 12 points, grabbed 15 rebounds, and finished with a team-high +18. Sure, the Charlotte Hornets lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers, 118–117, but it certainly wasn’t because of Nurkic’s performance.

While the Suns continue to struggle with rebounding and interior defense, their former center is out there contributing in a meaningful way. Meanwhile, the Suns continue to lose games and get absolutely shredded on the interior. Yeah, no one is stopping Joker, so I know this is an exercise in futility.

We’ll never truly know what could have happened if the bridge between Jusuf Nurkic and the Suns hadn’t been burned. We’ll never know where they might be right now if they had stayed the course, focusing their efforts on addressing other areas of the team’s deficiencies instead of undermining their best rebounder and rim protector.

The numbers tell the tale: the Suns were 15-18 when they made the decision to bench Nurkic. Since then, they’ve posted a 14-16 record. So, in the grand scheme of things, none of it matters. All I can do now is sit here, hoping the pain in my stomach will pass, along with the frustration of watching another season slip away.

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