With the Portland Trail Blazers looking to shake things up and make some roster altering moves this season, one name that's come up in recent trade rumors is Blazers center Jusuf Nurkic. As a sneaky good center in the NBA, Nurkic has definitely made his mark as a well-rounded big that would bolster any frontcourt in need of a dominant low-post presence.
Now that he's been made available for trade by the Blazers, there'll be plenty of center needy squads that'll be inquiring about his services. So with all this in the fold for Portland, let us now discuss the four teams that desperately need to trade for Nurkic in an effort to add quality frontcourt size and depth.
Potential Jusuf Nurkic Trades
Los Angeles Clippers
As an elite 3-point shooting team that's been one of the best defensive units in the NBA for the past few seasons, their biggest weakness has been their noticeable lack of size. Even though Ivica Zubac has been solid for them and given them a ton of production in the paint, they still have lacked length and a dominant force down low.
In Jusuf Nurkic, they'd have a well-rounded center that could elevate their play on both ends of the floor and open up more scoring opportunities for Paul George, Terrence Mann, Reggie Jackson, Marcus Morris, and Luke Kennard. Nurkic's strength, size, and aggression would be a perfect fit on the Clippers and give them an even deeper roster while they await the highly anticipated return of Kawhi Leonard.
Dallas Mavericks
Despite the strong play of Kristpas Porzingis, Tim Hardaway Jr., Jalen Brunson, Reggie Bullock, and Dwight Powell, the Mavericks still haven't surrounded franchise superstar Luka Doncic with enough talent to get them over the hump. Not to mention their relatively thin frontline hasn't done them any favors either. Making a trade for Jusuf Nurkic would solve both of these issues while giving them a young center that could form a lethal 1-2 punch with Doncic.
This would likely lead to them parting ways with Porzingis, but given his wildly inconsistent play, large contract, and inability to co-exist with Doncic, it would be a much-needed change for them. Plus at just 27 years of age, Nurkic would provide the Mavs with a young a center that could form an All-Star duo with Luka and allow them to continue building out their long desired championship contender with ease. Nurkic would also be a massive upgrade from Porzingis and give Dallas a reliable big man that's not perimeter-oriented.
Boston Celtics
In the midst of a transition year, the Celtics are still taking some time to adjust to their recent coaching change. However, they've slowly started to make progress and are getting back to their winning ways. Currently playing without Jaylen Brown, this has placed more of the scoring and playmaking load on Jayson Tatum, Dennis Schroder, and Marcus Smart.
On top of this, they've been getting pummeled on the boards while showcasing a relatively thin frontline. Robert Williams, Enes Freedom, and Al Horford have all been solid for the C's, but they're still in search of an enforcer in the restricted area and would excel with some consistent production at the center spot. Jusuf Nurkic would fit in perfectly with the Celtics youth movement while providing them with a major area of need and giving them an elite starting five.
Milwaukee Bucks
Now that Brook Lopez is out indefinitely after recovering from back surgery, the Bucks will be playing down a man and in dire need of some quality depth in their frontcourt. Between Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bobby Portis, and DeMarcus Cousins, the Bucks will still have a strong enough big man rotation to hold them over in Lopez's absence, but the addition of Jusuf Nurkic would bring them to a whole new level and bolster their frontline immensely.
With a starting five of Giannis, Jusuf Nurkic, Khris Middleton, Jrue Holiday, and George Hill, the Bucks would boast the best starting line-up in the NBA to go along with their loaded supporting cast. With this move, the Bucks would have the most complete team in the league and dominate their opponents on all fronts.
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