Nuggets Make Nurkic-For-Plumlee Trade Official

DENVER (CBS4/The Sports Xchange) - Jusuf Nurkic is a Denver Nugget no more.

We'll forgive you if you forgot that the Bosnian center was still on the roster.

Nurkic had really fallen out of favor with the coaching staff, so the Nuggets dealt him and a 2017 first round pick to Portland in return for center Mason Plumlee and a 2018 second-round draft pick.

Nuggets General Manager Tim Connelly made the trade official on Monday morning.

By the numbers, the Nuggets are the winners in the trade. (Plumlee is averaging career highs of 11.1 points, 8.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game.) The big questions will be how well does he mesh with emerging star Nikola Jokic, and can the Nuggets sign him to a long-term deal. Plumlee becomes a restricted free-agent after the season.

With a 24-30 record, the Nuggets are currently a game ahead of the Trail Blazers (23-31) for the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference.

The 26-year-old Plumlee has started 54 games for the Blazers this season.

The 6-foot-11, 255-pound Plumlee was drafted by the Brooklyn Nets as the 22nd overall pick in 2013 and traded in 2015 to the Trail Blazers.

Nurkic, 22, was the 16th overall pick in 2014. The 7-0, 280-pounder is averaging 8.0 points and 5.8 rebounds in 45 games (29 starts) this season.