After being traded less than a week ago, new Phoenix Suns center Jusuf Nurkić spoke with the media as he prepares to get ready with his new team.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!When talking about the process of being traded, Nurkić said that the thought of it happening crossed his mind, but the transition from his former team, the Portland Trail Blazers, to the Suns was seamless.
“Kinda had a feeling that it could of happened and I was ready,” Nurkic said. “I had a great relationship with the organization (Trail Blazers) and the past seven years was amazing. I thank them for putting me in a position like Phoenix.”
“I didn’t have a chance to be a part of a super team (before)”
New #Suns center Jusuf Nurkić on his initial thoughts of getting traded and playing on a new team with Bradley Beal, Devin Booker and Kevin Durant@BurnCitySports @BurnCitySuns pic.twitter.com/OJ3UFEvj9q
— Brendan Mau (@brendan_mau) October 2, 2023
On Sept. 27, Suns acquired Nurkić, guards Keon Johnson and Grayson Allen, and forward Nassir Little in the three-team trade that saw superstar point guard Damian Lillard go to the Milwaukee Bucks.
As part of the deal, Phoenix shipped the former first overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, Deandre Ayton, along with rookie Toumani Camara to the Trail Blazers.
Nurkić explained that after the trade, he is really excited to be playing around stars like Devin Booker, Kevin Durant and fellow-newcomer Bradley Beal.
“The reason why I am here is because they believe I am a great fit,” Nurkić said. “Having three scorers that can score 30 points a game is just amazing. I didn’t have a chance to join a super team before, so I will experience it in the best possible way.
In 463 career games between the Trail Blazers and the Denver Nuggets, the 7 ft. Bosnian had averaged 12.3 points, 8.6 rebounds and 1.2 blocks.
Last season, Nurkić averaged 13.3 points, 9.1 rebounds and 0.8 blocks in 52 games for Portland.
*Get the BEST Phoenix sports insider information, exclusive content, and access to our seasonal magazines! SIGN UP HERE to unlock our premium content!*
Alec Cipollini is a journalist covering the Arizona Coyotes and Phoenix Rising for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on his new X account @AlecCipollini
