Jusuf Nurkic Top Trade Candidate For Blazers

Although it’s early days in the NBA season, rumors and thinkpieces abound. Recently, Portland Trail Blazers’ center Jusuf Nurkic made the list for top trade candidates according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. Four unnamed NBA executives weighed in on the list.

At the end of the playoffs, Jusuf Nurkic expressed frustration with his role. So far, it appears new coach Chauncey Billups has given Nurkic an expanded role and more playing time to start the new season.

However, with Nurkic and Robert Covington in the final years of their contracts, each player is worth monitoring, according to NBA executives, should the Blazers struggle at the beginning of the season.

“I think something’s going to happen there,” one NBA executive told HoopsHype. “Things aren’t great right now. I think it’s probably Robert Covington or Jusuf Nurkic first. I think there’s a non-zero chance they go and reset without trading Damian Lillard and try to trade CJ McCollum and the other guys and get a new cast of vets.”

You can read the top candidate for every team in the league here.