The Phoenix Suns are struggling. They have lost four straight and five of six since Kevin Durant suffered a calf injury. Phoenix has been bitten by the injury bug, but they have plenty of on-court issues to deal with, including a continuing Jusuf Nurkic problem.
The seven-footer was part of the return for Deandre Ayton in Sept. 2023. It was time to move on from the 2018 number-one overall draft pick, but the Suns had to land a big man. They had already acquired Bradley Beal and needed a specific trade to keep their finances in order. Nurkic offered strong rebounding, playmaking, and rim protection at the five, but things have bottomed out to begin this season.
The Bosnian Beast has been a disaster with things getting worse during KD’s absence. Phoenix needs Nurkic to step up, but his finishing around the basket, playmaking, and rim protection are all down after the addition of Tyus Jones. The Suns cannot play Durant at the five every night and will struggle to trade Nurkic for an upgrade, so things must improve.
Jusuf Nurkic is creating a massive problem for the Suns
In his first 13 games, Nurkic averaged 8.5 points, 9.8 rebounds, 1.1 assists, and 0.5 blocks in 23.7 minutes per contest. His playing time is down in large part because of his struggles. Nurkic is shooting 38.5 percent from the field and 26.3 percent on his 2.9 3-point tries per game. Those numbers are dreadful, but his advanced metrics are worse.
The 30-year-old is bottom-five in the NBA in value over replacement player (VORP) and win shares per 48 minutes. Phoenix has a negative-2.5 net rating with him on the floor, and his negative-6.4 box score plus-minus is the worst of any player with over 300 minutes played this season. The Suns cannot compete for a championship with that production at the five.
Phoenix is deep into the second apron and facing significant trade restrictions. They cannot aggregate salaries or take back more money than they send out. Even if the Suns wanted to upgrade at the five, they would have to use Nurkic’s $18.1 million salary and their limited available draft capital to make a deal. That seems nearly impossible given the seven-footer’s play and $19.3 million salary for the 2025-26 season.
Fans may point to Nurkic not getting enough touches, but his usage rate is up. He did get 55.5 touches per game last season compared to just 49.2 this year, but that is in part due to playing 3.5 fewer minutes per contest. The Suns added Jones to organize their offense and create plays. Much of Nurkic’s responsibility in those areas has shifted to their new point guard. Perhaps getting him more involved as a hub could help the big man get back on track.
Phoenix has no better option. Mason Plumlee has never played more than 26.8 minutes per game in his 12-year NBA career and hasn’t consistently been a starter since his days with the Hornets. Oso Ighodaro may be a future option, but a franchise with title contention hopes does not want to rely on a rookie to play significant minutes at the five.
Jusuf Nurkic is a problem with no clear solution for the Suns. They do not want him operating as a key playmaker and his struggles finishing around the rim aren’t going away. Phoenix must make the most of the situation and get him locked on defense when he returns from his ankle injury.
If not, the franchise’s title hopes could quickly be dashed. KD cannot be expected to guard Nikola Jokic in the playoffs. The Phoenix Suns need a center, and Nurkic is their best option. He must find his way out of this funk and get back on track.
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