After a standout season fueled by necessity, the Bosnian Beast faces a redefined future as Utah’s high-post playmaker and veteran anchor within a revamped, star-studded frontcourt rotation.
Jusuf Nurkić's first season with the Utah Jazz didn't go according to the original plan and it ended up working out pretty well for him.
Utah entered last season with Walker Kessler entrenched at center, leaving Nurkić to open the year in a reserve role after arriving from Charlotte. But Kessler suffered a season-ending shoulder injury after five games, creating an opening that Nurkić eventually filled for much of the season.
And he took advantage.
Nurkić averaged 10.9 points, 10.4 rebounds and a career-high 4.8 assists in 26.4 minutes across 41 appearances, starting 36 of them.
His season ended early due to surgery, but Utah saw enough to bring the 31-year-old back on a two-year, $22 million deal this summer even before a decision on Kessler's future was made.
His second season in Utah could look much different.
Kessler is gone after the Jazz sent him to the Los Angeles Lakers, but that doesn't mean Nurkić needs to inherit the starting job he left behind.
Utah's frontcourt has changed.
Jaren Jackson Jr. arrived last season and gives Will Hardy a proven option at center. Lauri Markkanen remains one of the Jazz's most important offensive pieces, while Ace Bailey enters his second season after spending much of his rookie year establishing himself as another building block.
That gives Hardy an intriguing option.
A Jackson-Markkanen frontcourt would allow Utah to keep Bailey in the starting lineup without squeezing three traditional frontcourt players together. Nurkić could then return to the bench role Utah originally envisioned for him last season.
And his production suggests that wouldn't have to be a small one.
Nurkić's 4.8 assists were a career high, and his passing gives Utah another way to initiate offense when Darryn Peterson or Keyonte George isn't controlling the possession. His rebounding would also give Hardy a dependable option behind a starting group that no longer includes Kessler's presence on the glass.
That could make "primary reserve center" the cleanest description of Nurkić's role entering 2026-27.
Jaxson Hayes and Kyle Filipowski give Hardy other options at the position, and outside projections have included Nurkić in Utah's potential starting five. The Jazz themselves haven't announced what Hardy's opening lineup will look like.
But this roster doesn't need Nurkić to start for him to matter.
Last season, an injury forced Utah to ask more from him than originally planned. Nurkić responded with one of the best passing seasons of his career and averaged a double-double.
This time around ... Hardy may have the luxury of choosing where those skills fit best.
And on a Jazz team with far more talent in front of him, Nurkić could give Utah something it rarely had last season: proven production waiting on the bench.
