Jusuf Nurkic has surprisingly and impressively flipped the script on himself since joining the Utah Jazz. It's not like he's looked like Portland Nurkic, but he's done well enough as the team's default starting center that not only does trading for him not look like a mistake anymore, but it now looks like the Jazz are better off keeping him past this season.
Nurkic will be a free agent this summer. He won't be Utah's biggest priority, but he's shown enough that he would be really useful to keep as their backup center when they have their full squad next summer. Even if the Jazz plan to tank the rest of this season, all indications are that the plan is go full steam ahead for a playoff push next season.
No, Nurkic shouldn't be the starting center, but he's proven himself to be beneficial to the Jazz squad. Warts and all, he's proven himself to be a supportive teammate off the court, and on the court, he's actually played a hand in why Keyonte George has been so good in Year 3 with the Jazz.
At this point, Nurkic isn't much of a rim protector, but he is a dependable big man in their rotation. He could help keep their offense afloat as long as he's playing next to the likes of George. Given that he compared George to Damian Lillard, it's pretty easy to see how both George and Ace Bailey like playing next to Nurkic.
One thing I've enjoyed about Jusuf Nurkic is how well he's played offensively with some of the young guys
— Jazz Lead (@JazzLead) December 20, 2025
He has clear synergy and chemistry with both Ace and Keyonte
How are you guys enjoying the Nurk experience? pic.twitter.com/nrqe6HJ1eZ
While everyone knew that Nurkic had some juice left, he's proven that he's got more than enough to fit in seamlessly as their backup center of the (immediate) future.
But how much will he ask for?
Coming into the season, it felt like the best Nurkic could have asked for on the market was a veteran's minimum after a pretty all-around disastrous stint in Phoenix. Having lesser expectations on a rebuilding team like the Jazz has more or less rejuvenated him to the point that he could understandably demand more than the veteran's minimum.
The Jazz have every intention of spending every dollar possible this summer, between paying a top-notch free agent and extending Walker Kessler, so there's no telling how much will be left over if and when they get that taken care of.
Better yet, how many years will they give Nurkic? At 31 years old, he will want as long a contract as he can get while the opportunity is still there. Having as much cap room as they do should make the Jazz flexible. The Jazz should be able to keep it within reason, but Nurkic has played well enough that they shouldn't be surprised if they have some competition for his services.