Jusuf Nurkic shown embracing Utah in latest video since joining the Jazz

Acquiring Jusuf Nurkic likely wasn't on anyone's Jazz bingo card this offseason, and yet here we are. Following the surprising Collin Sexton trade that sent the Bosnian Beast to the Jazz, Nurkic has made it clear that he's excited to join Utah since the trade was announced, and he's only proven that further on Independence Day.

When a Utah resident posted on X that they thought they saw Nurkic at the Fourth of July parade, Nurkic himself confirmed that he indeed was there in response.

Nurkic has been pretty consistent about how much he's looking forward to playing for Utah later this fall. Since the trade went down, he retweeted when the Jazz welcomed him and then sent a message to Utah after the trade was finalized.

Nurkic might not necessarily be the most exciting addition, but it is cool to see that he has taken no time at all to take to Utah. There has always been an unfair narrative about Utah as a player destination, so to see him get himself acquainted with it in no time at all is pretty cool to see.

For what it's worth, Sexton, who the Jazz traded for Nurkic, also embraced Utah during his three years as a Jazzman. It may not be as desirable as other places like New York or Los Angeles, but Nurkic has lived up to his word about being excited to play for the Jazz.

Could Nurkic be in Utah for the long haul?

The Jazz acquired Nurkic on an expiring deal, and since the Jazz are getting younger, many will question if he'll be with the team when this upcoming season ends. Utah wouldn't necessarily be heartbroken if he leaves, but given his veteran experience, maybe the Jazz will feel that they are best off keeping him on the team.

Now, the Jazz have a pretty crowded frontcourt as it stands, which is why fans should expect more moves to come this summer. However, with Nurkic, he will likely take a paycut no matter what happens.

He's also at the stage of his career where he shouldn't expect to play as much as he did when he was in his prime. He's likely looking at a backup role from now on, and if he embraces that, why not have him stick around in Utah? It honestly couldn't hurt any side on the matter.

Unlike Sexton and Jordan Clarkson, who the Jazz went out of their way to get rid of this offseason, Nurkic probably won't hurt their organic tanking efforts. He also likely won't get in the way of Walker Kessler or Taylor Hendricks' playing time, and if he proves himself to be a problem, the Jazz will buy him out.

No matter how things unfold with Nurkic, it can't hurt the Jazz, so if he's proving himself a keeper (strictly speaking), he could be in Utah for some time.