Is Jusuf Nurkic the Veteran the Young Jazz Core Needs?

When news came down the NBA pipeline that Jusuf Nurkic was traded to the Utah Jazz, some fans were slightly apprehensive of the deal.

Before his time in Utah, Nurkic unfairly earned a reputation as a locker-room problem. His time with the Phoenix Suns was marred by poor communication and a loss of playing time.

To avoid further discussion, the Suns shipped Nurkic to the Charlotte Hornets for Cody Martin, Vasilije Micic, and a 2026 second-round pick. Nurkic’s time on the Hornets was uneventful, only playing 26 games with the club.

Nurkic’s career looked to be at the twilight of his career until June 29, 2025. The Bosnian Beast was traded to the Jazz for Collin Sexton and a future second-round pick. Jazz Nation felt the trade was minuscule and only for a salary dump.

Little did fans know that Nurkic would become a key veteran presence for the team.

The Defensive Engine Goes Down

On Nov. 5, 2025, the Jazz announced defensive juggernaut Walker Kessler would undergo season-ending surgery to fix a labral tear – a major blow to an already poor defensive team.

After the Rudy Gobert trade, Kessler established himself as the Jazz’s new generational shot blocker. With a total of 474 blocks in his career, Kessler also led the league with 2.4 blocks per game in the 2024-25 NBA season.

That same season, Kessler was fifth in the league in defensive rebounding, grabbing 12.2 defensive boards a game. Without one of their key cogs, the Jazz turned to Nurkic to become their starting center.

The Beast’s Defensive Impact

Kessler played only five games in a Jazz uniform this year and posted a defensive rating of 116.6, the best on the team for a time. However, Nurkic has managed to take that mantle with a rating of 116.8 in the 31 games he’s played.

Even though he isn’t leading the league in defensive rebounds or blocks like Kessler, Nurkic does a ton of the little things Kessler did to win games. Nurkic is third on the team with total blocks with 12.

One of his biggest blocks of the season came late in the fourth quarter, when the Jazz took down the Detroit Pistons on December 26, 2025.

​In the waning moments of the game, Isaiah Stewart looked to hammer down the ball and cut the Jazz lead to one. Nurkic had different plans and dove back into his youth to come up with a big rejection.

Besides blocks, Nurkic averages 9.8 rebounds per game, the most on the team. The rebound accolades don’t just end there. Overall, Nurkic is ninth in the league when it comes to RPG and eleventh overall in defensive rebound averages.

Nurkic showed this skill in the Jazz’s two wins against the Boston Celtics and Memphis Grizzlies that happened earlier in the season. On Nov. 3, 2025, Nurkic grabbed a clutch offensive board, leading to a game-winning shot for the Jazz.

Without his rebound in crunch time, the Jazz wouldn’t have won that game against the Celtics. A similar situation happened against the Grizzlies on Dec. 12, 2025. Nurkic helped dominate the boards in the fourth quarter.

Pulling down five rebounds in all (three being defensive) at the start of the quarter, Nurkic was a key component in the win against the Grizzlies–because of his skills, the Jazz had the opportunity to win the game.

If that wasn’t evidence enough of Nurkic’s rebounding impact, look no further than the Jazz’s recent game against the Hornets. On Jan. 10, 2026, the Hornets decimated the Jazz on the boards.

Without Nurkic, the Hornets out-rebounded the Jazz by 34 rebounds, 21 of them being offensive. The game concluded with a score of 150-95, underscoring Nurkic’s importance to this team’s ability to compete.

Unlocking a Young Offense

Nurkic’s abilities don’t end on defense but extend to the offense as well. Surprising as it may be, Nurkic is third on the team (a career year in assists for him, actually) when it comes to assists.

With 135 assists this season and leading the team in rebounding, Nurkic now has 10 double-doubles this season for the Jazz. Averaging 10.4 points per game, Nurkic is no stranger to helping this Jazz team score.

In fact, from Dec. 22, 2025, to Jan. 7, 2026, Nurkic had a six-game streak averaging more than 10 points per game before his toe injury. The pinnacle of this streak was a home rematch against the Celtics.

That night, Nurkic ended up scoring 26 points, grabbing eight rebounds, and dishing out eight assists. Many of those points came from the 20 passes Keyonte George threw to him. Developing chemistry with George has been a high priority for Nurkic, and it looks to be paying off for both on the offensive end.

“He makes the guy guarding me disappear,” George said. “The most unselfish thing you can do is screening, and he’s done that at a high level for a really long time. As soon as I saw we were getting him, I was super excited. He just makes the game so easy for me.”

Through the last five games he’s played, Nurkic averages a +6.8 when it comes to his plus/minus average – showing his positive impact on the Jazz every time he steps on the court.

Nurkic put out a +13 in the overtime loss against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Jan. 7, 2026. Every time he stepped out on the court, Nurkic would deter many of the Thunder players from going to the paint.

He also pushed around Thunder center Chet Holmgren with his weight and smooth moves to get to the rim easily. His offensive capability helped the Jazz get easy buckets at the rim and second-chance points to force overtime.

When Nurkic fouled out in overtime, the Jazz suffered because the Thunder went to the rim at ease to score. On the other end, the Jazz struggled to space the floor and get easy buckets without Nurkic’s physicality from his screens. This game alone cements the Jazz’s need for Nurkic in order for the team to compete properly and even win games.

Locker Room Leader

Besides being a leader on the court, Nurkic has become a leader off the court as well. Using his voice, Nurkic coaches the young players to find their own voices in the locker room and see what skills to use on the court as well.

Jazz rookie Ace Bailey has benefited from Nurkic’s leadership. Bailey uses many of Nurkic’s passes and screens to score a lot of his points. It’s not just Bailey who has benefited from Nurkic’s leadership, but other young guys on the Jazz squad as well. In a recent shoot, around George, he sang high praises on Nurkic’s impact on him and the team.

“I think we understand what we’ll get from him every night,” George stated. “He’s the ultimate vet… we respect him in the locker room.”

Around For the Long Run?

Nurkic has a massive impact on this Jazz team— there’s no denying that. The question now is: do the Jazz trade him at the deadline or keep him? The Jazz, over the last few seasons, have been known to trade away veterans at the deadline for draft assets. This action is done to raise draft capital and risk becoming worse in the hopes of a good lottery pick.

​Nurkic could fetch them some draft capital at the deadline, but would it be worth it? The Jazz could use him a little bit further in this rebuild. Nurkic helps them win, and he’s shown that his impact goes far beyond the court.

​It would be easier to retain Nurkic because of how much he loves the organization and state. He went out of his way in a recent press conference to praise the team without even being asked!

 “It’s definitely the most fun I’ve had in a few years now,” Nurkic said. “It’s just the support. I can’t really stress enough how this organization is good.”

If the Jazz’s goal is to win next season, they could use him as a backup big man to help Kessler. Nurkic could also teach the young Jazz center how to use finesse to get to the rim.

He could even teach Kessler to be more efficient with his assists. Plus, having a backup big that can help space the floor and be efficient in the pick-and-roll could be crucial in winning games. Whether Nurkic stays or goes, Jazz Nation will be there to cheer him on. He adopted this fan base and city quickly and hopes to help the young team grow.