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

Suns coach Mike Budenholzer provides updates on Bradley Beal, Jusuf Nurkic and what he wants to see improved in the second half.

The Phoenix Suns (22-21) begin their three-game homestand against the lowly Washington Wizards (6-37) on Saturday.

Suns head coach Mike Budenholzer explains his reasoning behind starting Mason Plumlee over a benched Jusuf Nurkic

Devin Booker led the way for the Suns ... Even with Nurkić out, head coach Mike Budenholzer played just one center in the game, Mason Plumlee, who ended with just five rebounds.

The Suns have won eight of their last 11 games, a figure that is some type of tangible progress, but not as much as it should be after Saturday's win over the Wizards.

Kevin Durant scored 29 points, Nick Richards added 20 points along with a career-high 19 rebounds and the Phoenix Suns held off the Washington Wizards 119-109 on Saturday night.

The struggling Nurkic has gone from the starting center to a benchwarmer in the space of about a month. Coach Mike Budenholzer doesn't seem like he's going to reverse that decision any time soon — especially with the Suns winning eight of their last 11 games and the emergence of newcomer Nick Richards.

But the Suns are only looking toward the bright side as they return home after their five-game road trip in which they went 3-2. The road swing ended on a 24-point win at Brooklyn, the Suns' second-largest margin of victory behind their 127-100 home rout of the Los Angeles Lakers on Nov. 26.

The Phoenix Suns could upgrade their lineup by swapping Bradley Beal to the Chicago Bulls for their star guard.

A recent report mentioned that the Phoenix Suns may be interested in acquiring a different star from the Eastern Conference ahead of the trade deadline.