Phoenix Suns DVOA, Stats, & NBA Rankings

Phoenix Suns center Jusuf Nurkic (illness) won't play on Sunday night versus Charlotte. The veteran has been the subject of trade talks of late, with recent reports suggesting the Suns have had discussions with the Hornets about a potential swap. But for now, he remains in Phoenix, although he likely wouldn't have played even if he were available, considering he was kept off the floor during the Suns' previous two contests. At any rate, Mason Plumlee will remain in the middle. However, Plumlee can't be trusted to do anything outside of his contributions on the glass.

According to Evan Sidery of Forbes, the Suns and Hornets have had "preliminary" talks surrounding a trade involving center Jusuf Nurkic, with the deal involving Hornets center Nick Richards. The 30-year-old has had one of the worst seasons of his career, averaging 8.6 points and 9.2 rebounds. He's also missed 10 games this season while not getting on the floor in Phoenix's previous two contests. With that said, Nurkic could have a tough time getting consistent work in Charlotte, at least while Mark Williams remains healthy, which has been an issue for the former Duke Blue Devil over the years. But it doesn't appear Nurkic will find his way back into the Suns' rotation anytime soon, meaning Mason Plumlee and Oso Ighodaro should continue to handle things in the middle.

Phoenix Suns power forward Royce O'Neale (ankle) will be sidelined again on Thursday when the Suns host the Atlanta Hawks. O'Neale suffered a left ankle sprain in a December 28 loss to Golden State Warriors. He's scheduled for a re-evaluation of his injured ankle sometime this week. O'Neale played well in December before injuring his ankle, averaging 11.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, 3.1 three-pointers and 2.8 assists in 28.4 minutes. Ryan Dunn and Josh Okogie have been seeing some extra playing time while O'Neale is sidelined.

Phoenix Suns forward Royce O'Neale (ankle) has been ruled out for Monday's game against the Philadelphia 76ers. The 31-year-old will miss his third consecutive game since spraining his ankle against the Golden State Warriors on December 28. Ryan Dunn and Josh Okogie have been seeing some extra playing time while O'Neale is sidelined, and Dunn has even moved into the starting lineup. Over the last six games, Dunn has started in four and averaged 8.5 points, 4.8 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 1.3 blocks per game.

According to NBA insider Chris Haynes, Phoenix Suns coach Mike Budenholzer decided that Jusuf Nurkic and Bradley Beal will be removed from the starting lineup, effective immediately. This measure is part of head coach Mike Budenholzer's attempt to get the team back on track. After starting the season with eight wins in their first nine games, the Suns now rank last in the Pacific Division with a 15-18 record. Veteran big man Mason Plumlee is set to replace Nurkic in the starting lineup. With Plumlee being in the starting lineup, the Suns hope to play better defensively, as they currently have the eighth-worst defensive efficiency in the NBA for the 2024/25 season.