The Jusuf Nurkic era with the Phoenix Suns is officially over, as they've traded him and a 2026 1st round pick to the Charlotte Hornets for a package involving Cody Martin, according to ESPN insider, Shams Charania. After months of Nurkic being involved in trade rumors, the Suns have finally sent him to a new spot.

The past two months of the season have been rough. For example, Nurkic claimed that he and Suns head coach Mike Budenholzer had no relationship. While the latter refuted the claim, it showed that he wasn't receiving any playing time. That, combined with Phoenix trading for Nick Richards, didn't help his case.

This trade had been in the works for a little while. ClutchPoints NBA insider Brett Siegel mentioned that Martin was a name to keep tabs on before the deadline. Now, he'll have a new home and have a chance to contribute to a struggling Suns team. The former Hornets forward brings a defensive versatility, and sheer size to the lineup.

After Phoenix traded away Josh Okogie as part of the Richards deal, they needed some more size. Plus, with Kevin Durant and Ryan Dunn both being injured, they need more bodies.

Suns trading Jusuf Nurkic for Cody Martin is a win

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The center rotation had a logjam, to say the least. With Richards, Mason Plumlee, and Oso Ighodaro, it left no room for Nurkic. Although he was the starting center, the Suns benched Nurkic at the beginning of the New Year. Since then, they haven't looked back. Subsequently, that's when the team traded for Richards.

The multi-positional defender and scorer makes a big difference in today's NBA. There are no more legit positions. A guy like Martin can bring the hustle points off the bench. With a team full of stars, they need that extra juice and to see teammates sacrificing themselves.

Plus, he's been dubbed as the ‘ace' of the Hornets through his time there. He's spent his entire career with the team before being traded to Phoenix. Fans, and the organization know him as a hard working player. His efforts will be appreciated by the Suns fans, who will have a sigh of relief.

This trade doesn't mean that Phoenix is automatically in title contention. However, there might be some more camaraderie in the locker room after Nurkic's departure. Although he's been a pro, his time with the Suns was clearly over. Now, the team has some more financial flexibility with Martin's contract.