"KD and Book unfollow him too?" - NBA fans erupt as Suns $18 million center cuts ties with Kevin Durant & Devin Booker on IG amid trade buzz

The trade buzz surrounding Jusuf Nurkic just intensified after the Phoenix Suns center unfollowed both Devin Booker and Kevin Durant on Instagram. According to sources, Phoenix is interested in acquiring the Charlotte Hornets' Nick Richards in exchange for Nurkic. Sources also reported that's mainly the reason why Nurkic missed their last two games against the Atlanta Hawks and Utah Jazz.

AZ Sports Zone reported on X, formerly Twitter, on Sunday about Nurk's unfollowing of the Suns' stars. While there aren't any reports of beef among them, it could likely be a sign that Phoenix is set to let go of their big man.

Fans on X have expressed their curiosity and wonder if Nurkic, who is making $18 million this season, is set to leave or not. Here are some of their reactions:

"KD and book unfollow him too??"

"When he stops following Budenholzer on MySpace, that’s when it’s curtains."

"Let the drama begin," one said.

One fan believes this was a sign of a done deal.

"They approved the trade😂," one tweeted.

Another fan called out Nurk's apparent habit of blocking Suns fans.

"He a lazy clown dude blocked 90% of the Suns fans base lol he even blocked me that man is trash and he expected KD and book to keep him there 😂😂😂," another tweeted.

Meanwhile, one fan pointed the finger at KD and Book for their part in the Suns' struggles in recent seasons.

"Nurk’s been bad, but since we’ve had KD, he and Book are pseudo-GMs and find a scapegoat every year. Year one was CP and DA. Year two was the coach and bench. Year 3 its Nurk and requiring another 35+ vet to win," one pointed out.

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Phoenix Suns interested in acquiring Nick Richards for Jusuf Nurkic

Jusuf Nurkic - Source: Imagn

Jusuf Nurkic is now playing in his second season with the Phoenix Suns. However, it seems like his days in Phoenix are numbered as there have been trade talks between the Suns and the Charlotte Hornets. Phoenix expressed interest in acquiring Nick Richards in exchange for their big man Nurkic.

Looking at their contracts, there's a huge salary gap between the two players. Richards has a remaining $10 million in his contract and is expected to get paid $5 million this season. As for Nurkic, he still has a remaining balance of $37.5 million, with an expected salary of $18 million this season. With that in mind, a few more pieces will likely be added to the deal including some draft picks.

As of this writing, nothing has come to fruition yet. No other trade pieces have been brought up since their previous publicly made trade talks.