Jazz's preseason said the quiet part out loud about Jusuf Nurkic

Many were shocked when the Utah Jazz swapped Collin Sexton (and a second-round pick) for Jusuf Nurkic, and for all the wrong reasons. Make no mistake that Nurkic is not the player that he once was, but many believed his NBA career is on its last legs. If there's one thing this preseason has proven, it's that he can still play.

No, Nurkic is not the player he was during his heyday with the Portland Trail Blazers, but he proved during preseason that he still brings a fair amount to the table. His screening and playmaking were hard not to notice.

No, Nurkic did not play well enough that anyone should think for a second that he will usurp Walker Kessler as the center in the Jazz's starting lineup. However, Nurkic is showing offensive chemistry with a fair number of his Jazz teammates.

As an added bonus, he's also shown that he can space the floor after all. While it's not like the Jazz don't have enough of that player archetype on the roster already, it's pretty cool to see him prove to be a sharpshooter when he's on the floor.

Nurkic has been through a lot over the last two years. After being heavily criticized for not being able to hold his own as Phoenix's starting center, it must be a nice change of pace to be in a pressure-free environment like Utah, where he can be a perfectly sturdy backup.

The question is will he stay a Jazzman?

Again, a well-rounded offensive big man is something the Jazz already have plenty of on the roster as it is. While Nurkic has shown that he still has some juice left, that doesn't make him any less superfluous on the Jazz's roster. For as impressive as he's been, Utah should not have to hold back from playing Kyle Filipowski.

Before being traded to Utah, many believed that he was one an albatross deal. That's proven to be untrue as he's been traded twice in a year's time and three times since agreeing to an extension in Portland dating back to 2023.

And now, his contract is expiring after this season ends, and there are playoff teams out there looking for a. a competent big man and/or b. cap flexibility. If Nurkic proves his preseason play was no fluke, suddenly he becomes an intriguing trade target.

Nurkic succeeded in demonstrating thus far as a Jazzman that he can still play legit NBA minutes. It's not like Utah would get much back for him in a trade, but don't be surprised if a team talks itself into him at some point this season.