Phoenix dealt Jusuf Nurkić, but kept their star trio in place.
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center Jusuf Nurkić and a 2026 first-round pick to the Charlotte Hornets in exchange for forward Cody Martin and guard Vasilije Micić on Thursday. Phoenix also received a 2026 second-round pick as part of the deal.
Suns receive:
Hornets receive:
- Jusuf Nurkić
- 2026 first-round pick
The moves comes after the busy Hornets traded center Mark Williams to the Lakers for rookie Dalton Knecht, Cam Reddish and draft considerations on Wednesday night.
Last month, the Suns and Hornets pulled off another trade. Charlotte sent center Nick Richards and a second-round pick in 2025 to Phoenix in exchange for guard Josh Okogie and three future second-round draft picks.
Nurkić departs Phoenix after less than two seasons with the team. He’s been struggling for the Suns as of late, going from the starting center to a benchwarmer in the space of about a month. The 30-year-old Nurkić has been a starting center for most of the past decade, but his numbers have fallen since joining the Suns before last season. This season, he’s averaging just 8.2 points and 9.6 rebounds while shooting 45.4% from the field.
His best season was in 2019-20 when he was with the Portland Trail Blazers and averaged 17.6 points and 10.2 rebounds.
Martin heads to Phoenix after spending his entire career in Charlotte. The fifth-year forward is averaging 7.8 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.3 assists this season. He has struggled with injuries throughout his career, missing 138 games over the past three seasons. When healthy, Martin is considered one of the better on-ball defenders in the league.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
