It's no surprise to recent NBA retirees DeMarcus Cousins and Lou Williams that Phoenix Suns coach Mike Budenholzer abruptly removed Jusuf Nurkic from the starting lineup and rotation in January.

Nurkic said he and Suns coach Mike Budenholzer didn’t talk for two months. This is consistent with him saying Budenholzer didn’t inform him about a decision not to play him Jan. 9 against Atlanta.

Suns center Jusuf Nurkic was unceremoniously benched. He has not played in nine straight Suns games, all by coach Mike Budenholzer’s decision. Prior to that, Budenholzer had moved Nurkic to a reserve ...

Jusuf Nurkic's unexpected benching by Coach Mike Budenholzer has led to trade rumors and public discord within the Phoenix Suns. Nurkic stresses professionalism, while Budenholzer cites ...

Phoenix Suns center Jusuf Nurkic has gone from being an established NBA starting center for essentially nine seasons to losing his starting job and not playing, all in a matter of days. Reflecting ...