NBA Rumors: Blazers to Talk Jusuf Nurkic in Trades for Damian Lillard amid Heat Buzz
The Portland Trail Blazers are reportedly looking to include center Jusuf Nurkic in Damian Lillard trade talks.
Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reported Portland could look to get off the three years and $54.4 million remaining on Nurkic's contract.
Nurkic, 28, has been the Blazers' starting center for the past six-plus seasons. He averaged 13.3 points, 9.1 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game during the 2022-23 campaign.
While few would consider Nurkic among the NBA's best centers, he's a quality option who clearly works on developing his game. He's developed into a solid passer within the Blazers' offensive system and also added a surprisingly solid three ball to his arsenal, shooting 36.1 percent on 2.3 attempts per game last season.
It's unlikely Nurkic ever becomes an elite floor spacer, but his continued development over the course of his career bodes well for how his game will age.
Given the massive numbers being thrown around in free agency this summer, nabbing Nurkic at a little over $18 million per season shouldn't be a negative for teams interested in Lillard.
That said, finding matching salaries for Lillard and Nurkic will be difficult. The pair will make a combined $62.4 million next season, which makes matching a borderline impossibility without sending back a veteran max contract to Portland—something no contender seems likely to entertain.
It's more likely the Blazers will look for a third team to take on Nurkic if they insist on adding him to Lillard deals.
