The Utah Jazz trading Collin Sexton and a second-round pick to the Charlotte Hornets in exchange for Jusuf Nurkić was a move that raised many people's eyebrows this summer. Now it looks even more questionable as the Bosnia national coach called Nurkić for not being in shape and barely being able to run.
Bosnia coach Adis Beciragic calls out Jusuf Nurkic
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) August 11, 2025
“Nurkic is out of shape and can barely run.” 😳
(Via @BasketNews_com ) pic.twitter.com/tB849g7nOh
It's rare to see a coach speak this openly, but it surely means Nurkić's conditioning is a massive problem as he prepares for EuroBasket and the upcoming NBA season. The Jazz likely had tanking in mind when they traded for Nurkić. However, it's shocking that they had to give up a pick to acquire him, as he was largely viewed as a negative asset following a poor 2024-25 campaign.
Jusuf Nurkić is coming off a brutal season
This past season, Nurkić averaged 8.9 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 2.3 assists on 47.7/30.5/66.4 shooting splits. While these counting numbers don't look terrible, Nurkić was one of the league's worst rim protectors, and he was a highly inefficient offensive player. At the beginning of the season, Nurkić was viewed as the Phoenix Suns' starting center. Nevertheless, he ended up falling out of the Suns' rotation due to his poor play and open issues with head coach Mike Budenholzer. He was later traded to the Hornets.
Frankly, it's not at all super shocking that Nurkić isn't in tip-toe shape. Nurkić has never been very mobile or a good defender, but those problems reached a different level last season. Furthermore, Nurkić looked disengaged at times, especially with the Suns. While this report isn't much of a surprise, it is certainly concerning, particularly for his NBA future.
Nurkić is unlikely to play a big role with the Jazz
Nurkić was already unlikely to play a significant role for the Jazz, and now this feels cemented. Utah will certainly prioritize Walker Kessler and Kyle Filipowski in their center rotation. The Jazz might even experiment using Lauri Markkanen or Taylor Hendricks as the five in small-ball lineups. Nurkić will likely get some opportunity for limited rotation minutes. However, Nurkić's skill set always made him a fringe rotation player, especially with the Jazz having two young centers.
Ultimately, the Jazz aren't trying to win games, and Nurkić already wasn't considered a key part of Utah's rotation. As a result, while this report is disappointing, it's not super consequential for the Jazz. Nevertheless, it's concerning that they gave up a quality contributor and a second-round pick to get Nurkić.