The Trail Blazers made a splash on Thursday by agreeing to acquire Norman Powell from the Raptors. They’ll also add another key piece in-house, as center Jusuf Nurkic is ready to return from a lengthy absence. The big man tweets he’ll be in the lineup against the Magic on Friday.
Nurkic underwent surgery on January 19 to repair a fracture in his right wrist. He suffered his latest major injury against the Pacers while attempting to block a shot. He was cleared to play this week.
The 6’11” Nurkic missed nearly the entire 2019/20 season due to a major leg injury suffered late in the previous season. He’s averaging 9.8 PPG, 7.7 RPG, and 2.8 APG in 12 games (23.3 MPG) this season. He enjoyed a career year, averaged 15.6 PPG, 10.4 RPG and 3.2 APG, in 2018/19 before fracturing his left leg.
Nurkic has a partially guaranteed base salary of $12MM next season. He’s guaranteed $4MM and the Trail Blazers will have to decide whether to give him a full guarantee this summer.
Enes Kanter, who is averaging 12.1 PPG and 11.6 RPG, will return to a second-unit role with Nurkic back in action.
Blazers starting to stack up
If they could trade Powell they really would be…. Too bad we lose in the 1st round again this year. Lots of fun. Getting old when the front office sabotages the roster over and over every 1-5 seasons.
Even tho it made no sense for the blazers to trade trent for Powell, since they are basically the same player, Powell is a good player on both sides of the ball and has recent championship experience. He was a fan favorite with the raps and is known to play even better in the playoffs, so give him a chance
Yeah that’s fine and dandy, but he doesn’t fill a need at all. That’s the problem here…Blazers rarely make in season trades that truly move the needle. Why not move Trent/Hood for an actual need like a big to compliment Nurk in the front court? Aldridge doesn’t move the needle enough.
Gordon might have been a nudge in the right direction…and he lands with a western conference rival.
Just frustrating as a Blazers fan to see the team be so close but not quite good enough to take things to the next level.
Jabari Parker/Whiteside on a buyout … McGee was a possibility also.
Yeah exactly…yet they go and get another guard.
Nurkic D is atrocious