Skyhook Sunday: Jusuf Nurkic could be on his way out of Denver

One player that appears likely to be dealt before the trade deadline is Denver Nuggets big man Jusuf Nurkic. Nurkic is averaging 8.9 points and 6.7 rebounds per game in 19.7 minutes of action. After starting 25 games, Nurkic has been assigned to a bench role, getting a DNP coaches decision against the Hawks and Clippers, 9 minutes against the Timberwolves, and 19 minutes against the 76ers.

Nuggets head coach Mike Malone has decided to start Nikola Jokic at the center position instead of Jusuf Nurkic and it appears as though this will continue to be the case moving forward. Jokic is having a solid season, averaging 12.4 points and 7.6 rebounds per game, so it's not as if Mike Malone is making a mistake by giving him the lion's share of minutes in the front court. This is just a case where the Nuggets have two big men that serve the same primary function, making one expendable. Unfortunately for Jusuf Nurkic, he's the one who is expendable and likely to be on the trading block.

Jusuf Nurkic talked to the Denver Post about his minutes reduction, saying that he isn't happy about what has happened.

“For sure it’s tough,” Nurkic said. “I’m 23 years old. I’m not here to sit on the bench. I’m here to play basketball. And it’s a tough decision for me, from a starting spot and 20 minutes to four straight (games of not playing). … You control what you control, and I let my agent do the rest of the stuff.”

 The real red flag in this statement is Jusuf Nurkic mentioning his agent. That's code for "get me out of here" in the professional sports world. Jusuf Nurkic is starting to mentally check out of Denver, which means that if the Nuggets are smart, they'll try to find a home for him as soon as possible.

As for what teams might be interested in his services, there are several teams that could use a quality big man, but the challenge will be finding a team that is willing to give Jusuf Nurkic the amount of minutes that he wants. At some level, Nurkic might need to humble himself a bit and realize that as of right now, he's more of an off the bench kind of player than a starter. His numbers aren't bad, but they also don't scream NBA starter, either.

Going forward, it will be very interesting to see how the Denver Nuggets handle the situation with Jusuf Nurkic. A trade feels inevitable, but unless a team is willing to roll the dice on Nurkic and give him the minutes he wants, he may not get his wish of getting traded before the trade deadline. It's always a risky proposition to lobby for a trade when you aren't exactly lighting it up. It can send bad signals to potential teams interested in your services. If Jusuf Nurkic really wants out of Denver, he needs to keep quiet and not make any mention of wanting out of Denver. Otherwise, his teammates may start to turn on him and he could be in for a very awkward rest of the season if he doesn't end up getting traded.

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