On Facebook
On Flipboard
On Twitter
Jusuf Nurkic will make his Charlotte Hornets debut on Monday vs. the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center. The veteran center joined the team last week alongside a first-round pick in a trade that sent Cody Martin, Vasilije Micic and a 2026 second-round pick to the Phoenix Suns.
Nurkic hasn’t played since Jan. 7 after the Suns removed him from their rotation. The trade ended a disappointing Phoenix tenure for the Bosnian seven-footer. He joined the team alongside Grayson Allen before the 2023-24 season in a three-team deal that sent former No. 1 overall pick Deandre Ayton to the Portland Trail Blazers.
Nurkic averaged 8.6 points and 9.2 rebounds on 45.4 percent shooting over 25 appearances this season before the Suns benched him.
Jusuf Nurkic to make Hornets debut vs. Nets
He enters the mix for a Charlotte team that has severely underwhelmed this season. The Hornets hold the NBA’s fourth-worst record at 13-37. They’ve lost six of their last seven games following a 4-3 stretch midway through January.
Nurkic will join a Hornets center rotation that includes Mark Williams, Moussa Diabate and Taj Gibson. Williams has yet to rejoin the team after the trade sending him to the Los Angeles Lakers was rescinded on Saturday. The 23-year-old, who has appeared in 85 total games over his first three seasons, reportedly failed his Lakers physical.
Meanwhile, Charlotte converted Diabate from a two-way contract to a three-year, standard deal on Sunday. The No. 43 pick in the 2022 draft has averaged 4.7 points and 7.0 rebounds on 60.0 percent shooting in 18.7 minutes per game over 43 appearances this season.
Nurkic will compete for minutes as he attempts to rebuild his value during the latter stage of his career. The 30-year-old is under contract for $19.4 million next season and will be an unrestricted free agent during the 2026 offseason.
More must-reads:
- Shaquille O'Neal makes peace with longtime enemy — mostly
- Former Heat employee pleads guilty in stolen memorabilia case
- The '2024 NFL rushing TD leaders' quiz
Breaking News
Trending News
TODAY'S BEST
NBA champion guard retires after career filled with memorable moments
Marco Belinelli wasn't ever the most famous or accomplished NBA player. But in his 13 NBA seasons, the recently retired guard was part of a number of big NBA moments. Belinelli announced his retirement from professional basketball Monday after a career that spanned 13 NBA seasons, sandwiched between five seasons in Italy before and after his time in the league. He won an NBA title with the San Antonio Spurs in 2014, won three league titles in Serie A and four Italian Supercups and was league MVP in 2024 at age 38. The Italian guard made a huge splash in his first Summer League game after the Golden State Warriors drafted him with the No. 18 pick in 2007, scoring 37 points, the second-highest single-game total at the time. The sharpshooting guard didn't truly emerge as a big-game player until 2013, when he joined the Chicago Bulls. With Derrick Rose out for the season, Belinelli stepped up with a huge performance in Game 7 of the first-round series with the Brooklyn Nets, scoring 24 points and nine of the Bulls' last 11 points. Not only did he get the Bulls to the second round of the playoffs, where they'd lose to the eventual champion Miami Heat, but the loss inspired the Nets to make a hugely significant trade. They mortgaged the future to get Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett from the Boston Celtics, a deal that gave Boston the picks that became Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, the core members of their 2024 title team. Belinelli moved on to the San Antonio Spurs, and he proceeded to show off his outside shooting by winning the Three-Point Contest. In the 2014 playoffs, Belinelli shot 42.1% from three-point range, helping the Spurs to a title and getting his revenge on the Heat. Once again, Belinelli's efforts helped blow up a playoff rival — LeBron James left the Heat to return to Cleveland after the season. While Belinelli had an amazing shooting run the next year, going 14-for-30 from deep in the first round, the Spurs lost to the Clippers, even after Belinelli hit seven threes in Game 6. After bouncing around the NBA for a few years, Belinelli made it back to the playoffs with the 2017-18 Philadelphia 76ers, where he hit a huge clutch shot against the Celtics to tie Game 3 at the buzzer. Unfortunately, the 76ers arena staff thought he'd won the game with a three-pointer, and they blasted celebratory confetti. The Sixers would lose in OT after Al Horford stole the ball from Ben Simmons. For a player who was never a star, Belinelli certainly has a collection of star-studded highlights. He'll be remembered for a long time — especially in San Antonio.
New report sheds light on how Cowboys view Micah Parsons situation
It is no secret that the relationship between Micah Parsons and the Dallas Cowboys is not on solid ground, but that does not necessarily mean it is tarnished beyond repair. On the latest episode of his podcast, which was released on Tuesday, ESPN's Adam Schefter predicted that Parsons and the Cowboys are "headed towards divorce." Schefter said the two sides have not spoken since April and that it seems like a matter of when — not if — they part ways. Longtime NFL reporter Josina Anderson was told the situation is not quite that grim, at least from the Cowboys' perspective. Anderson reported on Tuesday evening that the relationship between Parsons and Dallas "has not deteriorated to the point of an imminent divorce." "I did not detect any obvious tones of concern in my sourced conversation when I recently asked about ESPN's Adam Schefter's report stating he sees 'these two sides headed towards a divorce, in time.' ... I just feel Dallas has so much history with protracted (and) sensitive negotiations, thus my current impression is the club remains unrattled, at this time," Anderson wrote in a post on X. Parsons is earning just over $24M in the final year of his rookie contract this season. The 26-year-old had 12 sacks in 13 games last season and has 52.5 sacks in 63 career games. Parsons is arguably the best pass-rusher in the NFL when healthy. Although Parsons has formally requested a trade, the Cowboys maintain that they have no intention of dealing their four-time Pro Bowl defensive end. The only real leverage Parsons has is creating a headache in Dallas. He remains under contract, and the Cowboys also can use the franchise tag on him in each of the next two seasons. If Parsons were to sit out regular-season games, his contract would eventually toll. Even with Jerry Jones publicly taking shots at Parsons, one massive contract offer could change everything.
Giants have firm stance on possible Jameis Winston trade
The New York Giants have one of the deepest quarterback rooms in the NFL, and there has been speculation that Jameis Winston could be the odd man out when the regular season begins. It does not sound like Winston is going anywhere, however. Russell Wilson is expected to be the Giants' starting quarterback in Week 1. The big question is whether Jaxson Dart or Winston will enter the year as Wilson's primary backup. Dart has played well through two preseason games, and Brian Daboll and his coaching staff have raved about the former Ole Miss star. Some have wondered if the Giants could entertain trade offers for Winston should they decide they view Dart as their No. 2 quarterback. Assistant general manager Brandon Brown was asked about that on Tuesday, and he all but ruled it out. "I appreciate people that are interested, but Jameis is a New York Giant. The way that he's gone about his business from day one, he's made it very intentional of the fact that he wants to be here and he wants to be here for the long haul," Brown said. "Teammates love him. His preparation process, whether it's the off-field things that he does in terms of community relations, Bible studies, things in the locker room, galvanizing the group together — not just the quarterback room, but the offense as a whole. "He's been comic relief, but he's also been a really good example of how to be a pro and handle your business in terms of prehab, rehab and postgame care. So, I'm happy he's here, and he's gonna continue to do those things. He hasn't wavered, and he hasn't been shaken by any distractions at all." Winston signed a two-year, $8M contract with the Giants in free agency this offseason. The deal could climb as high as $16M with incentives, but he would need to play quite a bit to hit those. The Giants value Winston's extensive experience, just as they value Dart's upside. There is a reason they signed both Wilson and Winston and traded up to draft Dart. They believe in all three players, and they likely will not be inclined to trade Winston unless they receive an excellent offer.
Packers may find themselves in position to repeat a quarterback move that once paid off after the latest NFL development
A year ago, the Green Bay Packers found themselves in a complicated situation at backup quarterback. Former fifth-round pick Sean Clifford and seventh-round rookie Michael Pratt had been struggling in training camp and preseason, and the team didn't have great options in the free agent market. So general manager Brian Gutekunst pulled off a trade, acquiring Malik Willis from the Tennessee Titans for a seventh-round pick. In hindsight, it was the perfect move. Willis had to start in Weeks 2 and 3, leading the Packers to wins over the Indianapolis Colts and, guess what, the Titans. But don't get it wrong, that move was a huge bet on what the coaching staff could do to develop Willis. A good athlete, the quarterback had massively struggled in Tennessee—that's why he lost the starting job to Will Levis and the backup job to Mason Rudolph, and ultimately why he was available for that type of trade. Now, or next offseason at the latest, the Packers have a shot at repeating the process to acquire a distressed asset to develop at quarterback. It's Anthony Richardson, who lost the QB battle on the Colts to Daniel Jones. Why a trade for Anthony Richardson makes sense for the Packers Philosophically, Gutekunst loves this type of quarterback—raw, athletic, strong-armed. The GM's first QB move on the Packers was trading for DeShone Kizer. He closely scouted Drew Lock in 2019 before taking Jordan Love in 2020. Richardson is obviously raw and needs development, but his arm strength and physical capabilities are undeniable. If the Packers can get him for a Day 3 pick, that should absolutely be on the table, especially because Malik Willis is entering the final year of his deal. Green Bay will need a long-term backup to Love, and Richardson is under contract through 2026 for a combined $9.225 million—plus a fifth-year option for 2027 that would likely not be exercised. According to the Relative Athletic Score in the pre-draft process, Richardson is the best athlete ever at the quarterback position coming out of college. Playing time is important, but Matt LaFleur showed with Jordan Love that it's possible to develop a backup quarterback to a certain degree with practice and preseason reps, if the situation is right. Would the Colts pull the trigger? A follow-up question is how much the Colts would be willing to actually trade Richardson. The Titans had just spent a second-round pick on Levis, which prompted them to move on from Willis. Even though the Colts gave Daniel Jones a $14 million deal, it's a one-year contract, and they haven't made big investments at the position after taking Richardson with the fourth overall pick. Publicly, the Colts keep saying that Richardson is part of the team's long-term plans. However, Richardson himself might want out. His agent, Deiric Jackson, didn't officially request a trade, but told ESPN that they will assess the situation. "We have a lot to discuss," Jackson said. "Trust is a big factor and that is, at best, questionable right now. Anthony came back and made the improvements in the areas he needed to improve. And by all accounts, he had a great camp." On the Packers, Anthony Richardson wouldn't have playing time right away—and ideally, never. But he would have a real chance to develop in a positive environment, become a useful backup and maybe situational quarterback, and elevate his value for a possible second contract with a shot at fighting for another starting job elsewhere.
Customize Your Newsletter
+
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!
PRIVACY POLICY EDITORIAL POLICY CONTACT US
ABOUT YARDBARKER TERMS OF SERVICE
Use of this website (including any and all parts and
components) constitutes your acceptance of these
Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
This site is for entertainment purposes only.
There is no gambling offered on this site.
Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-Gambler.
