The 2024-25 NBA trade deadline ends today at 3:00 p.m. EST. Teams are making last-minute moves to improve their roster for the second half of the season.
ESPN’s Shams Charania has been busy breaking news all week on the latest trades. Charania recently reported that the Suns are trading big man Jusuf Nurkic to the Hornets. In return, Charlotte is sending Cody Martin and Vasilije Micic to Phoenix.
Jusuf Nurkic is now a member of the Charlotte Hornets
The Phoenix Suns are trading Jusuf Nurkic and a 2026 first-round pick to the Charlotte Hornets for Cody Martin, Vasilije Micic and a 2026 second-round pick, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/epRJty7lid
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 6, 2025
In mid-January, the Suns made a trade with the Hornets. They sent their backup center Nick Richards to Phoenix in exchange for Josh Okogie and three second-round picks. That left Mark Williams as the only true center left on the roster. On Wednesday night, Charlotte traded Williams to the Los Angeles Lakers. Without Richards or Williams, the Horners were left with a void in their frontcourt.
That’s why the Charlotte Hornets have traded with the Suns to acquire veteran big man, Jusuf Nurkic. He’s in his 11th professional season and this is his second time being traded mid-season. Nurkic has spent the last two seasons in Phoenix. Now, he’s a member of the Hornets and will likely be their starting center. The 20-year-old is averaging (8.6) points, (9.2) rebounds, and (1.2) assists per game. Nurkic played in 101 games for the Suns and made 99 starts.
The Suns also traded a 2026 first-round pick to the Hornets in this deal. Phoenix acquired Cody Martin, Vasilije Micic, and a 2026 second-round pick. Martin has spent all six seasons of his NBA career with the Hornets. He was a second-round pick by the team in 2019. Vasilije Micic is a Serbian basketball player who was a second-round pick in the 2014 NBA draft. He played the first nine seasons of his career in other professional leagues. After a successful run in the 2024 Olympics, Micic signed with the Hornets. He’s shooting (.360) from beyond the arc in 2024-25. Cody Martin and himself are now on the Suns.
