CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Charlotte Hornets have acquired center Jusuf Nurkic and a 2026 first-round pick from the Phoenix Suns for guards Cody Martin and Vasilije Micic and a 2026 second-round pick, according to a person familiar with the situation.
The person spoke to The Associated Press on Thursday on condition of anonymity because the Hornets' latest deal has not been finalized.
The moves comes after the busy Hornets traded center Mark Williams to the Lakers for rookie Dalton Knecht, Cam Reddish and draft considerations on Wednesday night.
Last month, the Suns and Hornets pulled off another trade. Charlotte sent center Nick Richards and a second-round pick in 2025 to Phoenix in exchange for guard Josh Okogie and three future second-round draft picks.
The 30-year-old Nurkic is averaging 8.6 points and 9.2 rebounds in 25 games for the Suns in what has been a down season. His best year came in 2019-20 when he was with the Portland Trail Blazers and averaged 17.6 points and 10.2 rebounds.
Micic averaged 7.5 points and 3.5 assists for the Hornets and has seen more action recently since LaMelo Ball injured his ankle.
Martin has played in 39 games this season, averaging 7.8 points and 4.5 rebounds. He has struggled with injuries throughout his career, missing 138 games over the past three seasons. When healthy, Martin is considered one of the better on-ball defenders in the league.
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Charlotte Hornets forward Cody Martin (11) handles the ball while defended by Portland Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija (8) during the first half of an NBA basketball game Friday, Jan. 24, 2025, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Jim Dedmon)
Charlotte Hornets guard Vasilije Micic (22) drives to the basket against Washington Wizards forward Justin Champagnie (9) during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Charlotte, N.C., Monday, Feb. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)
HOUSTON (AP) — Now more than halfway to the moon, the Artemis II astronauts were toasted by Canada on Saturday as they prepared for their historic lunar fly-around to push deeper into space than even the Apollo astronauts.
On the downside, their toilet was on the blink again.
The three Americans and one Canadian are set to reach their destination Monday, photographing the mysterious lunar far side as they zoom around. It's the first moon-bound crew in more than 53 years, picking up where NASA’s Apollo program left off.
“The Earth is quite small, and the moon is definitely getting bigger,” pilot Victor Glover reported.
Until the Orion capsule's bathroom is fixed, Mission Control has instructed the astronauts to break out more of the backup urine collection bags. The so-called lunar loo malfunctioned following Wednesday’s liftoff and has been hit-and-miss ever since.
Artemis II is poised to set a distance record for humans, traveling more than 252,000 miles (400,000 kilometers) from Earth before hanging a U-turn behind the moon and heading home without stopping or entering lunar orbit. The record is currently held by Apollo 13.
The Canadian Space Agency celebrated the country’s role in the mission, speaking from Quebec with astronaut Jeremy Hansen as he headed toward his lunar rendezvous. Hansen is the first non-U.S. citizen to fly to the moon.
“Today he is making history for Canada,” Canadian Space Agency President Lisa Campbell said. “As we watch him taking this bold step into the unknown, let his journey remind us that Canada’s future is written by those who dare to reach for more.”
In the live televised linkup, Hansen said he's already witnessed “extraordinary” views from NASA's Orion capsule.
Hansen, Glover, Reid Wiseman and Christina Koch are the world's first lunar astronauts since Apollo 17's crew of three in 1972. Koch and Glover are the first female and first Black astronauts to the moon, respectively.
Their nearly 10-day mission — ending with a Pacific splashdown on April 10 — is the first step in NASA's bold plans for a sustainable moon base. The space agency is aiming for a landing by two astronauts near the lunar south pole in 2028.
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This image provided by the Canadian Space Agency, Artemis II astronaut Jeremy Hansen of Canada, connects live from the Orion spacecraft and speaks with Canadian media along with astronauts Victor Glover, left, and Reid Wiseman on Saturday, April 4, 2026. (Canadian Space Agency via AP)
This image from video provided by NASA shows the Artemis II crew Commander Reid Wiseman, second from left, thanking the families of the crew while speaking with NASA Mission Control in a video conference while en route to the moon, Thursday, April 2, 2026, as Canadian astronaut and mission specialist Jeremy Hansen, far left, looks on and mission specialist Christina Koch and pilot Victor Glover, far right, make hearts with their hands. (NASA via AP) CORRECTION: headed to the moon, not in moon's orbit
This image from video provided by NASA shows a view of earth taken by NASA astronaut and Artemis II Commander Reid Wiseman from one of the Orion spacecraft's four windows after completing the translunar injection burn, Thursday, April 2, 2026. (NASA via AP)
