Phoenix Suns DVOA, Stats, & NBA Rankings

Phoenix Suns center Jusuf Nurkic (finger) won't play in Sunday's exhibition against the Lakers. According to head coach Mike Budenholzer, the big man injured his left middle finger during scrimmage. It's unknown how severe the injury is. However, Nurkic will be re-evaluated in a week, meaning he could miss the entire preseason. The 30-year-old played well enough in 2023-24 to justify his presence in fantasy lineups, averaging a double-double (10.9 points, 11.0 rebounds) with 1.1 blocks and 1.1 steals. Without him, Mason Plumlee would be in line to start, although Bol Bol and Royce O'Neale can play bigger if necessary.

Charlotte Hornets forward Cody Martin (thumb) is currently considered day-to-day and won't suit up for Sunday's preseason opener. Martin suffered a thumb laceration and a sprained wrist while attempting to make a block during training camp. The 29-year-old is only expected to miss a few days and should be fine for Opening Night. The veteran forward figures to compete for backup minutes with Seth Curry and Tidjane Salaun. Martin is unlikely to have reliable fantasy value off the bench, but he'll still be an asset off the bench for Charlotte.

Phoenix Suns point guard Tyus Jones will open the campaign as a member of the starting unit. Suns head coach Mike Budenholzer has said Jones will be a starter alongside Jusuf Nurkic and the team's Big Three of Devin Booker, Bradley Beal, and Kevin Durant. Jones is coming off his first full season as a starter in Washington. Across 66 outings, he averaged 12.0 points with 7.3 assists. Considering the firepower Jones will have around him in Phoenix, his assists numbers should get a nice boost. However, his scoring will likely drop. Grayson Allen rolled as a starter among the Suns' stars last season. He should still play a big part in the rotation, but his fantasy value takes a hit with the move to the bench.

Phoenix Suns center Jusuf Nurkic is in line to shoot more threes this season after Suns head coach Mike Budenholzer said they want to "push the envelope" with Nurkic shooting threes. Nurkic has not been a good three point shooter in his career, making threes at a 28% clip. He had two decent seasons from deep with Portland, shooting 40% from three in 2020-2021 and 36.1% in 2022-2023. However, he's never averaged more than 2.3 threes per game. From a fantasy perspective this may not be the prettiest development when it's put into place, but it should result in a couple more points for the 30-year-old. From a basketball perspective, this will open up the floor more for the Suns' other key starters to drive to the hoop. Devin Booker, Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal may see more space to drive as Nurkic slides into a Brook Lopez-esque role that worked well with Budenholzer in Milwaukee. Fantasy managers should at least be intrigued by Nurkic shooting more threes and what it can do for his fantasy value if he's able to hit two a game.

Charlotte Hornets center Nick Richards has reportedly been on the New York Knicks' radar this offseason. The Knicks lack frontcourt options and have been linked with multiple big men. Richards is among them, and he could come in on a team-friendly contract, as the seven-foot Jamaican is only due to be paid $5 million in each of the next two seasons. Richards, a former second-round pick, had a solid campaign with the Hornets in 2023-24, averaging 9.7 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks in 26.3 minutes. He boosted his numbers to 10.1 points, 8.8 boards, and 1.2 swats as a starter.