This direct comparison of players misses the mark a little bit.
It's also about team building and structure.
Neither player is crazy impactful or a cornerstone.
However, Nurkic will cost $14m-$15m less per season.
This allows the team to invest elsewhere - hopefully in players that will make the impact that neither of these bigs can
It also gives more flexibility as the Nurkic contact will be easier to package and move - not that it's a great contact either, it definitely isn't
It's just less crippling on a veteran team of high paid players
Ayton had shown what he is and it's not a guy that you want taking up over 20% of the league cap, thinking he's a superstar while consistently checking out and playing soft
Not to mention the potential for locker room and team dynamics in this move
So we can squabble about assists and free throws, athleticism vs game smarts, etc.
The bottom line is that both are incomplete, neither are reliable, neither are centerpieces - one of them understands that, the other doesn't and carries a much higher salary
Ayton is the 7th highest paid big in the league - he's within $4m of being top 5. There is a $7m gap to 8th.
He's just not that guy