The Suns are “actively looking to trade starting center Jusuf Nurkic”

The team is trying to upgrade the center position. But who would want Nurk?

Something’s gotta give. Something’s gotta change. The Phoenix Suns, owners of the highest payroll in NBA history, are circling the drain. A sparkling 14–14 record, brimming with mediocrity, and about as inspiring as a half-empty bottle egg nog. There are at least ten different reasons why this team is sputtering. Take your pick. A lack of defense (inside, outside, wherever the ball lands)? Injuries piling up like dirty laundry? Just plain ‘ole bad luck? The Suns have a problem, and the clock is ticking for someone upstairs to fix it.

Enter Jusuf Nurkić, stage left. Or, more accurately, exit stage right.

The Arizona Republic’s Duane Rankin dropped the bomb today, one that we assumed was occurring but now have confirmation on. The Suns are actively looking to move off Nurkić, hunting for a big man upgrade to shore up their flimsy frontcourt. And if you’re part of the “anti-Nurkic” brigade, grab your noisemakers and party hats for it’s your time to circle the wagon. And I know we’ll hear plenty of that.

Per Rankin:

The Phoenix Suns have been actively looking to trade starting center Jusuf Nurkic, league sources informed The Arizona Republic.

The Suns (14-14) are seeking a big in return, the sources said. The team has been playing Mason Plumlee, rookie Oso Ighodaro and Nurkic at the five position. Washington Wizards big Jonas Valančiūnas and Chicago Bulls big Nikola Vucevic are two players whose names have been thrown into trade talks.

Nurkic has been a conundrum throughout his time in Phoenix. While his availability has been somewhat of a surprise, his productivity has been muted. It is to be expected when you’re on a team with three maximum contracted players who are naturally going to absorb the majority of the offensive output.

Nurkic, who is the 18th highest-paid center in the NBA, has been playing less than stellar. When you compare his statistics against other starting centers in the NBA who have played at least 20 games, his ranks leave much to be desired.

Ah, revisionist history, where hindsight turns everyone into a genius. Imagine one more year with Deandre Ayton anchoring the paint for the Phoenix Suns. His archetype — a hyper-athletic, rim-running big man with size, speed, lateral quickness, and defensive versatility — is precisely what this team is gasping for now. But let’s not forget why he was shown the door. The issues ran deeper than a box score: a locker room vibe sour enough to curdle milk and an on-court intensity level that made sloths look energetic.

The fan base’s love-hate relationship with Ayton was as volatile as his performances. Add in the hefty maximum contract he was lugging around like a ball and chain, and flipping him for smaller, more absorbable assets seemed like the logical move. At least at the time.

Enter Jusuf Nurkić, the new scapegoat for all that ails the Suns. Judged from the moment he touched down in Phoenix, Nurkic has been under the microscope, dissected, and critiqued at every turn. He even acknowledged it himself after a rare standout performance, dropping a post-game quote that reeked of frustration.

The irony? Fans don’t want Ayton, but they don’t want Nurk either. It’s almost poetic. A team longing for what it let go while tearing apart what it got in return.

The real question here is, what are you actually getting on the trade market? Names like Jonas Valančiūnas and Nikola Vučević are being tossed around as potential returns in a Nurkić deal. Sure, they might be an upgrade. Or they might just be more of the same. Both bring size, which the Suns desperately need, but neither fits the mold of that elusive rim-running, athletic big who can dominate on both ends of the floor. That archetype is practically unicorn status in today’s NBA.

So where does that leave the Suns? Stuck in the same boat they’re already in, just with a shinier oar. But maybe that’s enough for some. When you’re floundering, why not roll the dice on someone new? Shake things up, if only to see what sticks.

The clock’s ticking. Forty-four days until the trade deadline. The Suns have decisions to make, and we’ll be here, glued to the wire, waiting to see if management can conjure up a miracle. Or at least a marginal improvement. Stay tuned.