There may be no player in the NBA whom you're less sure what they're going to do next than Jusuf Nurkic. Truly, his next move could be anything. In the Jazz' free-flowing playstyle, Nurkic's tendency for the bizarre is amplified even more, and with Walker Kessler's season-ending injury, Nurkic has unintentionally become a large part of the team's plans... Whether or not that's a good thing.
In 2025, Jusuf Nurkic is not a starting-caliber center in the NBA. Suns fans learned that during his two-year stint with the team, which was not particularly fruitful, and now Jazz fans are learning that firsthand, as Nurkic is shooting under 40 percent from the field, turning the ball over at a career-high clip, and not protecting the rim much at all.
This comes with a big asterisk, though — the Jazz know Nurkic isn't a starting center at this point in his career, and they didn't plan on him filling that role.
Kessler's injury has thrust Nurkic, who is on a $19 million expiring deal, into a position he's not fit for, but shouldn't be expected to play on a nightly basis, either. The Jazz are stuck somewhere between wanting to win and wanting to tank. To be fair, Nurkic might be the perfect guy for that specific scenario, because you never know if he's going to help a team win or sabotage its efforts on a given night.
Jusuf Nurkic has been forced into a role he's not built for
Years ago, Nurkic was a solid (and sometimes very good) starting NBA center. He was a near-lock to record a double-double every night and was a well-above average passer from the center position.
He's serviceable as a backup these days, and I was actually on board with him playing that position in Utah, where he'd provide a different look from the rim-protecting Walker Kessler. But with Kessler out for the year, and Kyle Filipowski and Taylor Hendricks both dealing with injuries and a lack of experience, it might be the Nurk show in SLC for a little bit.
The Suns, meanwhile, have been rolling with Mark Williams and Nick Richards in the center rotation, and it's been kind of working! Nick Richards broke out a Kareem skyhook last night for some reason, and Mark Williams has looked more like a solid rotation piece than the injury-prone, low-energy player Suns fans were told they were getting.
The past few years were weird in Phoenix. Even with some rough stretches, I don't think Suns fans are cheering against Jusuf Nurkic. But they will empathize with Jazz fans, who are now experiencing the seatbelt-less rollercoaster that is Jusuf Nurkic.