Nurkic (illness) is out for Thursday's game against the Wizards.
After the Suns acquired Nick Richards in a trade with the Hornets on Wednesday, Nurkic's fantasy stock continues to plummet. Nurkic's next chance to play comes Saturday against Detroit, although it's unclear what kind of role he'll have upon returning. If Richards isn't able to join Phoenix's rotation in time for Thursday, Mason Plumlee should continue starting at center against Washington.
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Suns' Jusuf Nurkic: Out Tuesday, could miss more time
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Nurkic (illness) is listed as out for Tuesday's game against the Hawks.
He also missed Sunday's 120-113 win over the Hornets, with Suns head coach Mike Budenholzer telling Doug Haller of The Athletic beforehand that the veteran center is battling the flu and was considered unlikely to join the team for the start of its five-game road trip that begins Tuesday in Atlanta. Budenholzer said Nurkic could rejoin the team at some point later on in the road trip, but the 30-year-old is unlikely to be part of the Phoenix rotation unless one of Mason Plumlee or Oso Ighodaro misses time. Before sitting out Sunday's game with the ailment, Nurkic didn't play in either of the Suns' previous two games in coach's decisions.
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Suns' Jusuf Nurkic: Dealing with illness
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Nurkic won't play Sunday against the Hornets due to an illness.
Nurkic has been benched and taken out of the rotation completely since returning from a three-game suspension, so his absence Sunday shouldn't impact Phoenix's current rotation. Mason Plumlee and Oso Ighodaro will continue to split minutes at center for the foreseeable future.
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Suns' Jusuf Nurkic: Falls out of rotation
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Nurkic (coach's decision) didn't play during Thursday's 123-115 win over the Hawks.
Despite being available for Thursday's contest, Nurkic failed to log any playing time. Since returning from his three-game suspension, the 30-year-old center has been removed from the starting lineup and has now fallen out of the rotation altogether. Mason Plumlee and Oso Ighodaro soaked up all of the center minutes against Atlanta, and it will be worth monitoring to see if this trend continues.
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Suns' Jusuf Nurkic: Rough outing in win
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Nurkic provided five points (1-2 FG, 3-4 FT), seven rebounds and one assist over 14 minutes during Monday's 109-99 victory over the 76ers.
After returning from suspension and being demoted to the bench, Nurkic didn't do much to make a case to get back in the starting lineup or get more minutes. Nurkic took only two shots against the 76ers, finishing with five points in 14 minutes, and there's no telling what kind of role he'll have on this team moving forward.
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Suns' Jusuf Nurkic: Expected to move to bench
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The Suns are expected to move Nurkic to the bench for Monday's game against the 76ers and replace him in the starting five with Mason Plumlee, NBA reporter Chris Haynes reports.
Nurkic will make his return from a three-game suspension Monday, but he'll come off the bench for the first time in 24 appearances this season as head coach Mike Budenholzer shakes up his lineups while the Suns are in the midst of a four-game losing streak. In addition to Nurkic, Bradley Beal will also move to the bench, opening up a spot on the top unit for Ryan Dunn. Though the assignment to the second unit will likely lower Nurkic's nightly playing-time ceiling, he was already averaging 24.3 minutes per game, his lowest mark since 2020-21. If Nurkic is able to retain a 20-to-25-minute role on a consistent basis, his fantasy outlook may not dramatically change with the move to the bench.
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Suns' Jusuf Nurkic: Issued three-game suspension
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The NBA suspended Nurkic for three games for his role in an on-court altercation in Friday's 98-89 loss to the Mavericks.
The incident occurred with 9:02 remaining in the third quarter, when Nurkic committed an offensive foul that sparked a scuffle with Dallas' Naji Marshall in which Nurkic swung his arm and struck Marshall on the head. Nurkic, Marshall and Dallas' P.J. Washington were all ejected from the contest, and Marshall and Washington received four- and one-game suspensions, respectively. Nurkic will begin serving his ban Saturday at Golden State and won't be eligible to play until Jan. 6 against the 76ers. While Nurkic is sidelined, Mason Plumlee and Oso Ighodaro should handle most of the minutes at center.
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Suns' Jusuf Nurkic: Ejected from Friday's game
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Nurkic was ejected in the third quarter of Friday's game against the Mavericks after getting into an altercation with Naji Marshall, Grant Afseth of DallasHoopsJournal.com reports. Nurkic ended the game with three points (1-4 FG, 1-1 3Pt), five rebounds, two assists, a steal and a block across 14 minutes.
Marshall and Nurkic exchanged words after the Suns' big man was assessed with an offensive foul, and the two had to be separated after throwing punches at each other. P.J. Washington was also ejected on the same sequence after he got into the argument and pushed Nurkic to the hardwood. The absence of Nurkic will translate into more minutes for the likes of Oso Ighodaro and Mason Plumlee, although Kevin Durant could also slide to the five in an attempt to play with a small-ball lineup.
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Suns' Jusuf Nurkic: Nabs double-double in loss
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Nurkic had 12 points (4-7 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 4-5 FT), 10 rebounds, two assists and one steal in 32 minutes during Thursday's 120-111 loss to Indiana.
The big man posted his eighth double-double of the season and tied Kevin Durant and Grayson Allen for the team-high mark in rebounds Thursday. Nurkic has struggled with efficiency and is on pace to shoot 45.2 percent from the field this season, though he delivered a productive performance against Indiana. The veteran center has played in three consecutive outings following a five-game absence due to a right thigh contusion, during which he has averaged 11.3 points, 10.3 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.3 blocks and 1.0 steals while shooting 60.9 percent from the field across 29.7 minutes per contest.
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Suns' Jusuf Nurkic: Pulls down 14 rebounds
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Nurkic logged 10 points (4-9 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 2-3 FT), 14 rebounds, two assists, one block and one steal across 26 minutes during Sunday's 116-109 victory over the Trail Blazers.
Nurkic delivered an impressive performance on both ends of the court Sunday and recorded his first double-double since Nov. 26, although it must be noted he also missed five games between Nov. 30 and Dec. 8 due to a thigh problem. Nurkic might hold a secondary role on offense behind the Suns' Big Three, but he can get the job done on both ends of the court when needed. This was his seventh double-double of the season.
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Suns' Jusuf Nurkic: Productive in big minutes in return
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Nurkic (thigh) turned in 12 points (6-7 FG, 0-1 3Pt), seven rebounds, three blocks and one steal across 31 minutes in Friday's 134-126 win over the Jazz.
Nurkic reclaimed his spot in the starting five after missing the last five games, initially due to a left ankle sprain and then due to a right thigh contusion. He faced no restrictions in his return, clearing the 30-minute mark while setting a new season high with three blocks. Nurkic's health has been shaky this season and his minutes have been volatile, but if he can replicate Friday's line with any sort of regularity, he'll be worthy of a roster spot in 12-team points and category leagues.
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Suns' Jusuf Nurkic: Off injury report for Friday
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Nurkic (thigh) is off the injury report for Friday's game against Utah.
Nurkic is slated to return from a five-game absence due to a left ankle sprain and a right thigh contusion. The big man has averaged 8.2 points, 9.2 rebounds and 1.6 assists across 24.0 minutes per contest over his last five outings.
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Suns' Jusuf Nurkic: Out at least one week
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The Suns announced Monday that Nurkic will be re-evaluated in one week due to a right thigh contusion, Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic reports.
Nurkic had previously been battling a left ankle sprain before missing Saturday's win over the Warriors due to an injury that had previously been labeled as a quadricep contusion. He'll now sit out at least the Suns' next four games before getting re-examined. Oso Ighodaro and Mason Plumlee will likely cover nearly all the minutes at center while Nurkic is sidelined. Through 16 games this season, Nurkic is shooting 42 percent from the field and holds averages of 8.9 points, 9.9 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 0.9 three-pointers, 0.9 steals and 0.6 blocks in 24.1 minutes.
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Suns' Jusuf Nurkic: Out Saturday with quad contusion
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Nurkic has been ruled out for Saturday's game against the Warriors due to a right quadricep contusion.
A left ankle sprain was behind Nurkic's other two absences earlier this month, but the quad issue is a new concern for the center. Head coach Mike Budenholzer had previously labeled Nurkic as probable for Saturday's game following Friday's practice, but the 30-year-old big man evidently didn't heal up as quickly as the Suns anticipated. Look for Mason Plumlee and Oso Ighodaro to cover most of the minutes at center Saturday while Nurkic sits and turns his focus toward getting ready for Tuesday's matchup with Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs.
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Suns' Jusuf Nurkic: Questionable to play Saturday
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Nurkic (ankle) is listed as questionable for Saturday's game against the Warriors, Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic reports.
Head coach Mike Budenholzer said after Friday's practice that Nurkic and Bradley Beal (calf) are probable for Saturday's game, though Nurkic is by no means a lock to play. If Nurkic is sidelined, Oso Ighodaro or Mason Plumlee would be the top candidates to enter the Suns' starting lineup.
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Suns' Jusuf Nurkic: Likely to play Saturday
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Nurkic (ankle) is probable for Saturday's game versus the Warriors, Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic reports.
Despite continuing to deal with a nagging ankle injury, Nurkic is expected to make his fourth straight appearance Saturday. Across his last five outings, Nurkic is averaging 8.2 points, 9.2 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 24.0 minutes.
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Suns' Jusuf Nurkic: Brings down double-double in loss
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Nurkic had 14 points (5-8 FG, 3-5 3Pt, 1-2 FT), 12 rebounds, three assists, two blocks and three steals over 33 minutes during Wednesday's 138-122 loss to the Knicks.
Nurkic held his own despite an enormous night from Karl-Anthony Towns in the paint. The Suns are relieved to have one of their impact players off the injury report after he joined Kevin Durant (calf) and Bradley Beal (calf) on the sidelines twice over the past week. Nurkic's 2024-25 campaign has been a mixed bag, as he's performing slightly below last season's averages in every major category. Field-goal percentage is the most glaring shortcoming, as his 40.4 percent conversion rate is the lowest of his career, and a full 11 percentage points behind his 2023-24 average.
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Suns' Jusuf Nurkic: Returning to action Wednesday
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Nurkic (ankle) has been cleared for Wednesday's game against New York, Kellan Olson of ArizonaSports.com reports.
Nurkic will return after missing two of Phoenix's last five games due to a nagging ankle injury. Mason Plumlee has filled in admirably as a rebounder while earning a plus-6.5 net rating on the season, so there's no guarantee that Nurkic will exceed the 23.7 minutes he has averaged across his 13 appearances this year.
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Suns' Jusuf Nurkic: Questionable for Wednesday
Rotowire
Nurkic (ankle) is questionable for Wednesday's game against the Knicks.
Nurkic continues to deal with a left ankle sprain, and after missing the game against the Magic on Monday, he'll be a game-time call for Wednesday's contest. If Nurkic can't go, then Oso Ighodaro and Mason Plumlee would be in line to see more minutes in a depleted Suns frontcourt.
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Suns' Jusuf Nurkic: Listed out Monday
Rotowire
Nurkic (ankle) is listed as out for Monday's game against Orlando.
After three straight appearances for the Suns, Nurkic will be held out with a left ankle sprain, something that continues to pop up. With Nurkic on the shelf, this will be a big opportunity for Oso Ighodaro to step up for the Suns after a strong performance Sunday against the Timberwolves. Mason Plumlee started at power forward during that contest but will likely slide over to center in Nurkic's absence.
