Jusuf Nurkic became a fan favorite in his half-season with the Utah Jazz. He became so well-liked that the prevailing narrative is that it was in Utah's best interest to keep him. However, his farewell post once the season ended didn't sound like someone who was 100% all in on coming back. He sounded appreciative of his time with the team, but didn't sound like he was ready to run it back.
Utah 🏔️🎷, from the bottom of my ❤️, thank you for all the love and support you gave me every single night. It meant the world to me 💙
— Jusuf Nurkić 🇧🇦 (@bosnianbeast27) April 13, 2026
You welcomed me as a player, put everything aside and gave me a real chance to show you who I am as a person. I’ll never forget that.
Big… pic.twitter.com/VfmbgHyXi5
Nurkic played well enough that it is entirely feasible that he will have a market this summer. The Jazz have every intention of bringing Walker Kessler back, so even if Nurkic isn't the player he used to be, he may be looking for a team that will offer more playing time. If that's the case, Utah should chase after a backup big, and one who makes sense is Paul Reed.
Sports Illustrated's Jared Koch brought up a potential swap between the Jazz and Detroit Pistons in which the following would be swapped.
Jazz get: reed
Pistons get: Svi Mykhailiuk
Kock succinctly summarized why the Jazz would do it.
"This could be a perfect opportunity for the Jazz to add depth to their frontcourt for cheap next season, while also getting their hands on a player they've already had their eye on in the past," Koch wrote.
Now, if Nurkic comes back as a Jazzman, then there's no need for someone like Reed, but this is a solid Plan B in case Nurkic skips town. Reed is a solid energetic backup big who played a role in how the Pistons staved off an embarrassing playoff elimination vs. the Magic.
While Nurkic may think he's too good to be playing a limited role behind Kessler and Jaren Jackson Jr., Reed might not.
The Jazz previously wanted Reed
Utah signed Reed to an offer sheet in 2023, putting the Sixers between a rock and a hard place, as keeping him affected their cap sheet. Ultimately, the Sixers matched it, but didn't keep him for too long.
The Jazz did that partly because they wanted to make the Sixers squirm, but also because they wanted some frontcourt help. Now that they are on the path towards a playoff appearance, someone like Reed fits snugly into their plans (in case Nurkic bolts).
It's very possible Detroit might not trade him, just like even if they were open to it, they might not accept a deal revolving around Mykhailiuk. All of this is to say that Utah's first preference probably will be to keep Nurkic as their backup big, but if that's not an option, going after Reed as his replacement makes a lot of sense.
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