Jusuf Nurkic, Phoenix Suns
If the Phoenix Suns had it their way, they'd make at least a couple of big moves at the NBA Trade Deadline. Unless you've been living under a rock over the last couple of weeks, it's become pretty apparent that the team's biggest goal heading into the NBA Trade Deadline revolves around trading for Jimmy Butler. With still a few weeks left until the deadline, I'm just not quite sure how realistic of a goal that is at the moment for the Suns. I'm sure they're going to continue to push toward a deal, but I'd be shocked if it got done at this point.
I'd suggest that the most realistic deal that the Suns could end up getting done at the deadline revolves around trading Jusuf Nurkic. The 30-year-old center has not looked like a seamless fit all year for the team and at this point, you'd have to imagine that he'd also benefit from a change of scenery. Just a few weeks before the deadline, I'm pretty confident the Suns are going to make at least one move. It just may not be the big move that many fans across the league are anticipating.
Why Jusuf Nurkic will likely be traded: If there is one big sign that Nurkic is a likely player to be moved before the NBA Trade Deadline, it's the fact that he's been effectively removed from the team's rotation over the past few games. At this point, it would be quite odd for Nurkic to be removed from the rotation in hopes of the team finding a trade only for both sides to act like nothing ever happened a few weeks from now. Even if the Suns aren't able to pull off a move for Butler, I'd have to think that the team is going to want to move away from Nurkic.
And with just one year remaining on his contract after this season, it wouldn't be that terrible of a deal for a team to take on (assuming there was some sort of asset being stapled to the contract as well). For as the struggles that the Suns have, at the very least, they need to find a way to acquire help in the frontcourt. It does seem as if the team should be able to accomplish that with a trade of Nurkic. For what the Suns want to do as a team, Nurkic never felt like a good fit. Expect Phoenix to finally solve that issue at this year's deadline.