Report proves Jazz fooled everyone with heavily criticized move

Following news that the Utah Jazz had traded Collin Sexton for Jusuf Nurkic, the universal reaction from the Jazz fanbase was, “WHAT?!” Nurkic had an unimpressive stint in Phoenix, but things didn’t get much better in Charlotte. In Utah, however, he has flipped the script.

Not only did the move seem smarter in retrospect, but Nurkic also played well enough to make jazz history.

Temporarily taking Walker Kessler’s place as the team’s starting spot has helped, but monuments like this show that Nurkic is far from done. Pending any surprises, Kessler will return and take his starting spot next season, but that doesn’t mean Nurkic is going anywhere.

Nurkic will be an unrestricted free agent after this season and he may want a starting job next year. No matter what he wants, Sarah Todd of the Deseret News confirmed that they believe Nurkic should remain with the Jazz’s talent quartet this season.

“There appears to be a group of four that the Jazz brass feels particularly good about moving forward – Lauri Markkanen, Keyonte George, Ace Bailey and Walker Kessler, and there is growing belief that Nurkić and Mykhailiuk could be valuable as supporters for that group of four beyond this season,” Todd wrote.

Nurkic would be one of the better backup big men if he returns to a fully healthy Jazz team next season. He has shown that he still has post-game skills, has a nose for the boards and can make some pretty impressive passes. Asking him to be a rim protector is going too far, but Utah has figured out how to get the most out of him when many thought it was over for him.

The feeling is mutual from Nurkic, but what will the price be?

Nurkic confirmed a few days ago that he would like to re-sign with the Jazz this season, though he seems pretty open to anything. Like anyone in his shoes, he would likely prefer a starting job, and that will be harder to pass up if a team offers him that and an offer richer than Utah.

The Jazz’s two offseason priorities will be to use their cap space for a gamechanger and re-sign Kessler. In a perfect world, they would have all that and re-sign Nurkic. Since they will put those plans ahead of Nurkic, the question will arise as to whether Nurkic will be willing to wait until they focus on him or sign somewhere that can give him the role and money he wants.

Regardless of the outcome, many still made fun of the Jazz for acquiring Nurkic from the Hornets a few months ago. And now Nurkic has played well enough to make all the naysayers eat their words, while at the same time making it pretty clear that he’s someone Utah knows they should keep.