{"id":120929,"date":"2025-01-30T08:58:02","date_gmt":"2025-01-30T13:58:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=120929"},"modified":"2025-01-30T08:58:02","modified_gmt":"2025-01-30T13:58:02","slug":"suns-could-move-off-nurkic-with-move-for-harrison-barnes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2025\/01\/30\/suns-could-move-off-nurkic-with-move-for-harrison-barnes\/","title":{"rendered":"Suns Could Move Off Nurkic With Move For 41% 3PT Shooting Wing"},"content":{"rendered":"

Harrison Barnes<\/a> has revived his career with the San Antonio Spurs<\/a>. After an offseason trade from the Sacramento Kings<\/a>, Barnes has become a key contributor. The Spurs acquired him for salary relief, but he has delivered far more than expected. Harrison Barnes could have a similar impact on the Phoenix Suns<\/a> if they flip Jusuf Nurki\u0107<\/a> for him before the Feb. 6th trade deadline.<\/p>\n

Suns Could Move Off Nurkic With Move For 41% 3PT Shooting Wing<\/h2>\n

Barnes Impact on the Spurs<\/h3>\n

Barnes recently earned<\/a> NBA Player of the Week honors for the first time in his 13-year career. He became the oldest player to win the award, showing his lasting value. During that stretch, he averaged 22.3 points and 8.7 rebounds while shooting 61.8% from the field and 60% from three.<\/p>\n

His season averages are also solid. He now posts 11.7 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.7 assists while shooting 50.0% from the field and 41.4% from three. His impact extends beyond stats\u2014he provides leadership and stability to a young Spurs team.<\/p>\n

A Veteran Leader in San Antonio<\/h3>\n

Barnes has embraced a leadership role, mentoring younger players and leading by example. Spurs guard Tre Jones<\/a> \u00a0praised Barnes’ approach, calling him a “silent killer” who makes key plays without demanding attention.<\/p>\n

His impact is evident in the Spurs’ improved performance. With Barnes on the floor, the team is significantly more effective. His ability to space the floor, defend multiple positions, and make smart plays makes him a vital piece.<\/p>\n

Defensive Contributions and High Basketball IQ<\/h3>\n

Barnes’ resurgence isn’t just about offense. He has also taken on tough defensive assignments. In a recent matchup against the Lakers, he held LeBron James<\/a> to just 15<\/a> points on 1-of-4 shooting from three.<\/p>\n

His intelligence on both ends has impressed teammates. Rookie point guard Stephon Castle<\/a> highlighted Barnes’ ability to find open space, make timely cuts, and position himself for high-percentage shots.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s a knockdown shooter,\u201d Castle said<\/a>. \u201cSo for a guy like that to be that smart, knowing when to cut, offensive rebounding, he\u2019s just doing everything on the court.\u201d<\/p>\n

Harrison Barnes is a Logical Trade Target for the Suns<\/h3>\n

The Phoenix Suns<\/a> need to upgrade their roster, and Barnes could be the perfect fit. His 41.4% shooting from three fills a major need, and his contract is team-friendly.<\/p>\n

The Suns recently acquired<\/a> three first-round picks from the Utah Jazz. They could use one to move off Nurki\u0107, whose contract doesn\u2019t align with their title window. Barnes’ $18 million<\/a> cap hit makes him a perfect salary match.<\/p>\n

Spurs as Potential Sellers at the Deadline<\/h3>\n

San Antonio has lost<\/a> eight of its last ten games. The franchise has already prioritized future assets, as seen in its 2024 draft-day trade with the Minnesota Timberwolves<\/a>. Trading Barnes could net them another pick while allowing them to develop their young core.<\/p>\n

Barnes\u2019 contract will expire after the 2025-26 season, giving Phoenix flexibility if the deal doesn\u2019t work out. His advanced metrics also make him an appealing target. He contributes 17<\/a> more expected wins when on the court, ranking in the 85th percentile. His 63.1<\/a>% true shooting percentage ranks in the 90th percentile.<\/p>\n

Why This Trade Makes Sense<\/h3>\n

For the Suns, flipping Nurki\u0107 for Harrison Barnes would be a win. They would add a reliable 3-and-D wing who can thrive alongside their stars. Barnes’ ability to stretch the floor, defend multiple positions, and play within a system makes him an ideal fit. Another benefit of this trade is that the Suns will keep some of their assets and have a chance to pivot if an opportunity arises.<\/p>\n

Phoenix needs to maximize its championship window. Turning an unproductive<\/a> center into a proven veteran wing could be the move that elevates the team\u2019s title chances.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Harrison Barnes has revived his career with the San Antonio Spurs. After an offseason trade from the Sacramento Kings, Barnes has become a key contributor. The Spurs acquired him for salary relief, but he has delivered far more than expected. Harrison Barnes could have a similar impact on the Phoenix Suns if they flip Jusuf […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5018,"featured_media":120934,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[62,1608,28,34],"tags":[49979,141,135,38,4975,98,4774,2671,49264,1823],"class_list":["post-120929","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nba","category-basketball","category-suns","category-spurs","tag-2024-25-nba-season","tag-harrison-barnes","tag-jusuf-nurkic","tag-lebron-james","tag-nba-contracts","tag-nba-draft","tag-rumors","tag-player-of-the-week","tag-stephon-castle","tag-tre-jones"],"modified_by":"Frederick Okocha","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/120929","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5018"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=120929"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/120929\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":120936,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/120929\/revisions\/120936"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/120934"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=120929"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=120929"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=120929"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}