Are Suns Doing Right Thing With Jusuf Nurkic?

Nurkic is expected to be back with Phoenix - is that the right call?

Mar 17, 2024; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Phoenix Suns center Jusuf Nurkic (20) and Milwaukee Bucks center Brook Lopez (11) battle for possession of the ball in the first half at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Michael McLoone-USA TODAY Sports / Michael McLoone-USA TODAY Sports

PHOENIX --- It appears as if the Phoenix Suns are planning on retaining the services of incumbent starting center Jusuf Nurkic ahead of the next league year according to John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports.

This report has drawn an expected polarized response, as some believe the Suns won't be able to find a clear upgrade via trade, while others think that a player such as Walker Kessler could be attainable with the 2031 first-round pick attached.

The case both for and against Nurkic are fairly straightforward - let's explore them here.

The positives around Nurkic are what they always have been - his passing ability, his top-tier rebounding, and having the track record of being a connector of quality offenses.

Nurkic is also making an average salary on the Suns' books and serves as a better value compared to his predecessor and there could be hope that coach Mike Budenholzer could tap into a shooting ability that the big man flashed in 2022-23 with the Portland Trail Blazers.

The concerns around Nurkic are ones that have been around for some time - the subpar finishing, the lack of athleticism, and the propensity to get burned in one-on-one post defense situations.

The defensive concerns are valid in a playoff context, but he largely did a quality job at anchoring an above-average in the regular season.

The finishing conundrum could possibly be aided with an addition of the right point guard (Kyle Lowry?) that could maximize Nurkic in pick-and-rolls.

Verdict: Suns Making Right Decision

Overall, Nurkic is an above-average center that has flaws, but that comes with the territory.

There isn't a single player in the league that is free of flaws, and the Suns are getting a relatively strong value in this instance.

The question of what the franchise could draw from Nurkic in a trade is another valid point. It feels as if anything short of a younger, more athletic center such as Wendell Carter Jr. or Walker Kessler would be pointless for the Suns moving forward.

It is doubtful that any franchise would have a difficult time taking up the Suns on that type of offer without being completely sold on how the 2031 pick will age over time.

At the end of the day, expect Nurkic to be present at 2024 Media Day - which will presumably be held in early October