Phoenix Suns center Jusuf Nurkic pauses on the court duing a timeout during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Los Angeles Clippers Monday, Jan. 27, 2025, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
The Phoenix Suns are trading benched Jusuf Nurkic and a first-round pick in the 2026 NBA Draft to the Charlotte Hornets for forward Cody Martin, guard Vasilije Micic and a second-round pick in the same draft, ESPN reported Thursday.
Nurkic essentially became persona non grata with the Suns. He hasn’t played for Phoenix since Jan. 7 after starting 23 games this season.
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The 7-footer told The Arizona Republic last month that he hadn’t seen eye to eye with head coach Mike Budenholzer.
READ: NBA: Suns center Jusuf Nurkic, coach ‘don’t have a relationship’
“We don’t have a relationship,” Nurkic said at the time. “So, it’s fine. For me, just be a pro and do the best I can. Work and stay ready for whatever might be, but there is no chaos or bringing that to this team. They already have plenty of it. Trying to be as professional as I can and work my a– off for something else.”
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Nurkic, 30, was acquired by the Suns on Sept. 27, 2023, in a three-way deal with the Portland Trail Blazers and Milwaukee Bucks, with Jrue Holiday, Deandre Ayton and Damian Lillard the headliners of the trade.
He has averages of 8.6 points and 9.2 rebounds in the third season of a four-year, $70 million contract he signed in July 2022 with the Trail Blazers.
READ: Suns and their Big 3 struggling with not many easy solutions
In his 11th NBA season, Nurkic was the 16th overall pick of the 2014 NBA Draft. He has played 564 games (481 starts) with the Denver Nuggets (2014-17), Blazers (2017-23) and Suns.
He has career averages of 12.0 points, 9.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game.
Martin, 29, is averaging 7.8 points and 4.5 rebounds in 39 games (eight starts) this season.
He is contributing 6.3 points and 3.7 boards in 245 career games (54 starts) since being selected by the Hornets in the second round of the 2019 NBA Draft.
Micic, 31, is averaging 7.5 points, 3.5 assists and 2.4 rebounds in 36 games (16 starts) this season.
He has averages of 7.2 points, 4.1 assists and 1.8 rebounds in 96 career games (37 starts) with the Oklahoma City Thunder and Hornets.
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