Marc Stein: I think people look at Portland and assume that Nurkic is on the move. I haven’t heard his name mentioned a ton, to be honest, in recent weeks talking to other teams, I don’t sense that there’s a huge amount of interest in him.
Source: Marc Stein @ marcstein.substack.com
Source: Marc Stein @ marcstein.substack.com
What’s the buzz on Twitter?
Jamie Hudson @JamieHudson_
Injury Report:
Nurkic (right ankle; sprain) & Simons (right hip; contusion) are probable
Elleby (left hamstring) & Watford (right ankle) are questionable
Little (left shoulder), Lillard (core muscle), Nance Jr. (right knee) & Zeller (right knee) are out Wed.’s game @ Lakers – 8:45 PM
Injury Report:
Nurkic (right ankle; sprain) & Simons (right hip; contusion) are probable
Elleby (left hamstring) & Watford (right ankle) are questionable
Little (left shoulder), Lillard (core muscle), Nance Jr. (right knee) & Zeller (right knee) are out Wed.’s game @ Lakers – 8:45 PM
Casey Holdahl @CHold
Jusuf Nurkic (right ankle; sprain) and Anfernee Simons (right hip; contusion) are probable; CJ Elleby (left hamstring; strain) and Trendon Watford (right ankle; sprain) are questionable; Little/Lillard/Nance Jr/Zeller are out for Tuesday’s game vs. Lakers. – 7:21 PM
Jusuf Nurkic (right ankle; sprain) and Anfernee Simons (right hip; contusion) are probable; CJ Elleby (left hamstring; strain) and Trendon Watford (right ankle; sprain) are questionable; Little/Lillard/Nance Jr/Zeller are out for Tuesday’s game vs. Lakers. – 7:21 PM
Brandon Rahbar @BrandonRahbar
OKC started Lu Dort, Derrick Favors and three rookies and beat a Blazers team starting CJ McCollum, Robert Covington, Jusuf Nurkic, Anfernee Simons and Norman Powell by 17 points. pic.twitter.com/lwlgKhO6ld – 10:11 PM
OKC started Lu Dort, Derrick Favors and three rookies and beat a Blazers team starting CJ McCollum, Robert Covington, Jusuf Nurkic, Anfernee Simons and Norman Powell by 17 points. pic.twitter.com/lwlgKhO6ld – 10:11 PM
Mike McGraw @McGrawDHSports
Vucevic out here making the Doug McDermott trade look good. Vuc has 12 & 7, Nurkic 5 & 1.
#Bulls have pulled out to 64-55 lead, still time left in 2ndQ – 4:25 PM
Vucevic out here making the Doug McDermott trade look good. Vuc has 12 & 7, Nurkic 5 & 1.
#Bulls have pulled out to 64-55 lead, still time left in 2ndQ – 4:25 PM
KC Johnson @KCJHoop
Fantastic sequence from Vucevic, who played strong D on Nurkic at one end and converted 3-point play through traffic at other. – 4:21 PM
Fantastic sequence from Vucevic, who played strong D on Nurkic at one end and converted 3-point play through traffic at other. – 4:21 PM
KC Johnson @KCJHoop
Not exactly the defensive response Billy Donovan sought. Obviously, this Trail Blazers’ shooting (83.3%) is unsustainable. But Nurkic is setting some crushing screens and Bulls’ rotations are slow. – 3:51 PM
Not exactly the defensive response Billy Donovan sought. Obviously, this Trail Blazers’ shooting (83.3%) is unsustainable. But Nurkic is setting some crushing screens and Bulls’ rotations are slow. – 3:51 PM
More on this storyline
Now that his moment is here, it is unclear how long it will last. The Feb. 10 trade deadline is approaching, and because he is in the last year of his contract and is playing at such a high level, he figures to garner interest around the league. No matter where he is after the deadline, he will become an unrestricted free agent this summer, a position of power and freedom he has long desired. He says his gut tells him he will not be traded in February, and in his heart, he wants to remain in Portland beyond this season. The way he sees it, there is unfinished business here on and off the court. He wants to help find solutions to Portland’s homelessness problem. He wants to aid the restaurant scene impacted by the pandemic. And he wants to be there to unveil the new basketball court he built at the Islamic Bosniaks Education and Cultural Center in Southeast Portland. -via The Athletic / January 31, 2022
Adrian Wojnarowski on the Blazers: They’ve been very active in the trade market. They want to continue to build around Damian Lillard. They’ve had discussions on players like Robert Covington or Jusuf Nurkic. -via YouTube / January 13, 2022
There are a lot of different ways the Trail Blazers’trade deadline can go whether it’s trading a very large salary like C.J. McCollum, or an expiring mid-sized contract like Robert Covington or Jusuf Nurkic. Atrade involving one Covington and Nurkic could easily get them below the luxury tax this season, while also getting rid of the obligation to re-sign them this offseason since they’re already pressed up towards the 2022-23 luxury tax. -via HoopsHype / January 8, 2022
