Jusuf Nurkic was immediately written off when the Utah Jazz first acquired him last summer. "Past his prime" and "taking up a roster spot" were what first came to mind when his name came up. However, half a year later, Nurkic has been a better addition than most anticipated, largely because of how he's embraced Utah. So much so that, from the horse's mouth, he would like to stay with the team.
While talking with The Salt Lake Tribune's Andy Larsen, Nurkic made it clear that his preference would be to stay past the deadline and remain with the team, though he knows that it's out of his control.
“I don’t know. I mean, I obviously love being here. It’s been a great experience so far, and hopefully we continue the journey for a long time. But you can’t really control a lot of things,” Nurkic told Larsen. “It’s not probably bad or wrong or good to be in the trade rumors, it’s something in between. But if it’s up to me, I’m not leaving, so, finish the season with the Jazz.”
Nurkic will be a free agent after the season. Between sticking up for his teammates and being a solid fill-in for the injured Walker Kessler, he's made a better case to stay with the Jazz than anyone would have anticipated. He doesn't bring much defensively, and Utah knows better than to continue paying him what he's currently owed, but as far as backups go, Utah could do a lot worse.
Will the feeling be mutual?
Pending any surprises, Utah will be in an excellent position this offseason, as the team will have the cap room to add a marquee free agent like Austin Reaves and re-sign Walker Kessler. The Jazz will make those two options their biggest priorities, but the prospect of keeping Nurkic shouldn't be brushed aside.
Again, the Jazz know better than to pay Nurkic the kind of money he's getting now. As solid as Nurkic has been, his current contract is for the player that he used to be, not for who he is now. But that doesn't mean Utah can't pay him a solid wage to be Kessler's backup. Nurkic's days as a dependable rim protector are gone, but he still brings a lot to the table offensively.
The answer to this question is honestly not all that rhetorical, as it wouldn't shock anyone if the answer is yes. The Jazz don't get a lot of players who make it abundantly clear how much they enjoy it here. What will remain in question is what kind of money Nurkic is looking for and what Utah will see as a reasonable price for him.