The Phoenix Suns have made the Deandre Ayton trade official, sending out a press release that details the trade.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The Suns have now officially acquired Jusuf Nurkić, Grayson Allen, Nassir Little and guard Keon Johnson. In exchange, they have sent Ayton and rookie Toumani Camara to the Blazers.
The Press Release
“PHOENIX – The Phoenix Suns today acquired center Jusuf Nurkić, guard Grayson Allen, forward Nassir Little and guard Keon Johnson in a three-team trade with the Portland Trail Blazers and the Milwaukee Bucks. As part of the deal, the Suns sent center Deandre Ayton and forward Toumani Camara to the Trail Blazers.
Nurkić (7’-0”, 290 pounds) appeared in 52 games for the Trail Blazers during the 2022-23 season, averaging 13.3 points on 51.9% shooting and 9.1 rebounds in 26.8 minutes of action. He posted 18 double-doubles on the season, including a season-high 28 points to go with 15 rebounds in a win over Charlotte on Dec. 26. Nurkić recorded five consecutive double-doubles in January, including a two-game stretch where he totaled a career-best 37 rebounds.
A 10-year NBA veteran, Nurkić holds career averages of 12.3 points on 50.2% shooting, 8.6 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.2 blocks in 463 games (382 starts) with the Trail Blazers and Denver Nuggets. Over the past five seasons since the start of 2018-19, the 29-year-old is one of just four players in the NBA to average 10-plus points and rebounds per game as well as one-plus blocks and steals per game. Nurkić has also appeared in 16 career playoff games, averaging 12.4 points on 48.7% shooting and 9.8 rebounds.
Originally the 16th overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft by the Chicago Bulls before being traded to Denver on draft night, Nurkić was an NBA All-Rookie Second Team selection with the Nuggets for the 2014-15 season. A native of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Nurkić has represented his home country in international competition including at EuroBasket 2022, where he averaged 16.2 points and 7.0 rebounds.
Allen (6’-4”, 198 pounds) joins the Suns from Milwaukee where he averaged 10.4 points on 44.0% from the field and 39.9% from three-point range plus 3.3 rebounds last season. He appeared in a career-high 72 games with 70 starts last season while averaging a career-high 2.3 assists and shooting a career-best 90.5% from the free throw line. set a Bucks franchise record for three-pointers in a half, knocking down seven in the opening half on Nov. 27 against Dallas.
A five-year NBA veteran, Allen holds career averages of 9.7 points on 43.5% from the field, 39.5% from three-point range and 86.1% from the free throw line in 264 games with the Bucks, Memphis Grizzlies and Utah Jazz. He has averaged double figures scoring in each of the last three seasons and is one of only six players in the NBA to shoot over 39% from three-point range in each of the last four seasons. Allen has also appeared in 24 career playoff games, averaging 8.3 points on 42.9% shooting from the field and 40.6% from three-point range.
The 21st overall pick of the 2018 NBA Draft by Utah, Allen was a four-year standout at Duke University where he finished his career with the 12th-most points in program history (1,996 points) and helped guide the Blue Devils to the 2015 NCAA national championship.
Little (6’-5”, 220 pounds) appeared in a career-high 54 games for the Trail Blazers last season, averaging 6.6 points on 44.2% shooting from the field and 36.7% from three-point range, along with 2.6 rebounds in 18.1 minutes per game. He scored in double figures on 14 occasions including two games exceeding 25 points, scoring a season-high 28 on March 26 against Oklahoma City.
A four-year NBA veteran, the 23-year-old holds career averages of 6.0 points on 45.1% shooting from the field and 33.5% from three-point range, plus 3.2 rebounds in 192 games, all with Portland. Little also appeared in three postseason games with the Trail Blazers in 2021. He owns a scoring career-high of 30 points, set on Feb. 1, 2021 at Milwaukee.
Initially the 25th overall pick by Portland in the 2019 NBA Draft, Little entered the league following one collegiate season at the University of North Carolina. Following his senior year of high school, Little earned MVP honors in both the 2018 McDonald’s All-American Game and the 2018 Jordan Brand Classic, joining LeBron James as the only players to be named MVP of both events.
Johnson (6’-3”, 185 pounds) appeared in a career-high 40 games with Portland last season, averaging 4.7 points, 1.5 assists and 1.1 rebounds in 10.4 minutes. Across his final three appearances of the season, he scored in double figures in each and averaged 15.3 points on 45.5% from the field, 5.7 assists and 1.3 steals, capping the run by tying his career high with 20 points against New Orleans on March 27.
A two-year NBA player, the 21-year-old holds career averages of 5.9 points on 36.2% shooting from the field and 34.3% from three-point range, plus 1.8 assists and 1.6 rebounds in 14.4 minutes over 77 games with the Trail Blazers and LA Clippers. Johnson has recorded 18 career games scoring in double figures.
Selected with the 21st overall pick of the 2021 NBA Draft by the New York Knicks before being dealt to the Clippers, Johnson entered the NBA following one season at the University of Tennessee. At the NBA Draft Combine in 2021, he set an event record for max vertical leap by jumping 48 inches.
Nurkić’s name is pronounced you-SUF nur-KITCH. Little’s first name is pronounced nah-SEER. Johnson’s first name is pronounced KEY-on.”
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Brendan Mau is a senior writer covering the Phoenix Suns and more for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on X via @Brendan_Mau
