Jusuf Nurkic's Stats, Metrics, Game Logs, Projections & Rankings

According to Phoenix Suns head coach Mike Budenholzer, center Jusuf Nurkic hasn't "done basketball work." He also said Nurkic "hasn't had any contact." The 30-year-old injured his left middle finger while scrimmaging, keeping him off the court during the preseason. While Nurkic averaged 10.9 points last season, nearly three points less than in his final year in Portland, he was still a double-double producer. That's not expected to change, although the injury could compromise his availability for the start of the 2024-25 campaign. If Nurkic misses time, Mason Plumlee or Bol Bol may spend more time in the middle. There's also a chance the Suns go small, with Royce O'Neale sliding over to the five.

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.

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.