Jusuf Nurkic said that he has no relationship with Suns head coach Mike Budenholzer over the past two months, but the coach disagrees.

Suns center Jusuf Nurkic was unceremoniously benched.

Speaking Wednesday on his Brian Windhorst and The Hoop Collective podcast (beginning at the 17:09 mark), ESPN NBA insider Brian Windhorst suggested that the Kings are not in the mix for Butler:

Jusuf Nurkić and Mike Budenholzer aren’t in a good place.

And then Butler got suspended by the Miami Heat. Again.

Jusuf Nurkic was a starting NBA center for nine seasons and in a matter of weeks, his world has been tipped upside down.Suns coach Mike Budenholzer moved Nurkic to the bench and now he hasn't play

Through conversations with Kings officials in recent weeks, Houston Rockets officials were aware of the increasing likelihood of a potential De'Aaron Fox trade away from Sacramento, especially as the prospect of the 27-year-old guard signing a long-term extension with the Kings became less and less plausible.

Amid a roller-coaster season that began with title hopes, the Suns needed a shakeup. But with limited options, where do they go from here?

The Suns look like they will be a play-in team when the regular season ends. But one more trade could be on the horizon.

The heckling apparently stemmed from the ongoing trade speculation surrounding Beal and Miami Heat All-Star Jimmy Butler ... after Suns coach Mike Budenholzer told him he was benched.

Veteran center Jusuf Nurkic was benched earlier this season, and in a perfect world, the Suns would love to use his $18.1 million salary to land a difference-maker. In the meantime, though, he is still a member of the Suns and is working through those difficult circumstances.