He was suspended three games without pay after a fight with two Dallas Mavericks players that led to all three being ejected in a Dec. 27 game at Footprint Center in Phoenix. Nurkic came off the bench for the first time since his third NBA season when returning to the team from suspension for Monday’s game at Philadelphia.

The Phoenix Suns are open to trading Jusuf Nurkic but aren’t actively shopping him yet, eyeing offseason opportunities for better value.

The Phoenix Suns are a mess. They are 16-19 with a recent road loss against the Charlotte Hornets on the road. After benching Bradley Beal and Jusuf Nurkic, it seemed the Suns had the spark they needed. That didn't prove to be the case, as they lost to the Hornets just one game removed from finding a glimmer of hope.