Jazz Notes: Nurkic, Love, Core Four, George

The Jazz raised eyebrows over the summer when they attached a second-round pick to Collin Sexton in a trade with Charlotte for center Jusuf Nurkic. However, Nurkic has played a larger role than anticipated due to Walker Kessler‘s season-ending shoulder injury, making 24 starts (and counting) and averaging 25.4 minutes per contest. In the process, he has made a positive impression on his teammates and his head coach, per Sarah Todd of The Deseret News.

“Nurk helps us create an advantage in a way that no one else does,” coach Will Hardy said. “His screening, his ability to get his teammates open — and I think he’s done a better job of rolling and making himself available, but more than that, his teammates have rewarded him … But his physicality in general, his screening, rebounding, is unique in our league. Like, he’s in a category almost all by himself, in terms of the way that he can help you create advantage.”

As Todd points out, when Nurkic has found himself in less-than-favorable situations, he hasn’t been shy about expressing his frustrations publicly, as he did a year ago in Phoenix. But he sounds very happy to be in Utah, raving about the support he has gotten from Hardy and telling reporters that the Jazz have made him feel “wanted” (Twitter video link via JP Chunga).

“I can’t really stress enough how this organization is good,” Nurkic said. “… Me and Kevin (Love) talk every day to the young guys that we have a such a great thing here. (They) don’t understand how it is somewhere else … This is such a great environment, and you have everything you need to succeed.”

Here’s more on the Jazz:

• An apparent throw-in in the three-team trade that sent Norman Powell to the Heat and John Collins to the Clippers, Love has played more than expected for the Jazz this season after considering pursuing a buyout during the offseason, writes Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune. Love, who averaged 10.9 minutes per game in Miami last season, has averaged 9.9 points and 5.8 rebounds in 20.1 minutes per night on .413/.370/.769 shooting in December. “He’s an elite rebounder, and so those things continue to show up,” Hardy said in explaining Love’s role. “And then obviously, just kind of his general savvy in his 18th year — he’s gotten a little more familiar with his teammates, and I think his spacing element gives us a different look.”
• The Jazz appear to have a “core four” of Lauri Markkanen, Keyonte George, Ace Bailey, and Kessler, according to Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune, who explores what sort of player might complement that unit as a fifth option. Observing that the group could use a defensive-minded wing, Larsen suggests that Utah should be targeting a player in the mold of Luguentz Dort, Herbert Jones, Tari Eason, or Matisse Thybulle — not necessarily at this year’s trade deadline, but in general going forward.
• In a story for The Deseret News, Todd sets “New Year’s resolutions” for the Jazz, explaining what each player on Utah’s roster should be focused on in 2026.
• In case you missed it, George was nominated for the Western Conference’s Player of the Week award for a second consecutive week on Monday.