Nuggets Reportedly Planning To Deal Jusuf Nurkic
DENVER (The Sports Xchange) - Unable to co-exist alongside Nikola Jokic on the court, Jusuf Nurkic has reportedly been placed on the trade block by the Denver Nuggets.
Nurkic, a third-year big Bosnian center, is almost certain to be moved before the Feb. 23 trade deadline as the Nuggets are "actively working to find Nurkic a new home," ESPN reports.
The Nuggets believe the 22-year-old Nurkic can be a front-line center elsewhere, per the report. The team is intent on moving forward with Jokic, a 21-year-old Serbian big man, as part of their rebuild.
Denver (18-25) has experienced success with Nurkic and Jokic on the court separately, but their offensive and defensive ratings take significant hits when both are on the court together.
A 7-footer, Nurkic is averaging a career-high 8.7 points on 53 percent shooting and 6.2 rebounds through 38 games (26 starts) this season.
He was drafted 16th overall by the Chicago Bulls in the 2014 NBA Draft and promptly traded along with Gary Harris and a 2015 second-round pick to the Nuggets for Doug McDermott and Anthony Randolph.
On July 31, 2014, Nurkic signed a multi-year extension with Denver.