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.

Jusuf Nurkic, the Phoenix Suns center, expressed frustration with his current role under head coach Mike Budenholzer, revealing that the two “don’t have a relationship” amid his benching.

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.

Things aren't quite superb between Phoenix Suns center Jusuf Nurkic and head coach Mike Budenholzer. It's been a frustrating season all around in the desert as the Suns have fallen well short of ...

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 ...