Jusuf Nurkic

Jusuf Nurkic

30-Year-Old CenterC
Phoenix Suns  NBA  
Phoenix Suns
2024 Fantasy Outlook
Nurkic operated as the Suns' starting center in the 2023-24 campaign, his first year with the franchise, and he should hold that same role in 2024-25 for a Phoenix team that will look to contend in the Western Conference. Nurkic might not deliver flashy numbers on a nightly basis, and that's to be expected given he shares the court with the Suns' Big Three of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal. Still, he's one of the most reliable big men in an area with only a few dominant centers in The Association. The 2023-24 campaign marked Nurkic's eighth consecutive season averaging double-digit points, and the fourth time over the last six years in which he also grabbed double-digit rebounds per contest. That consistency, coupled with the fact that he's made over 50 percent of his shots from the field in four straight campaigns, gives him a strong floor in most fantasy formats. Nurkic might be a solid target in mid-to-late rounds in most formats, though it wouldn't be surprising if he's one of the first centers off the board due to his two-way value. He's not going to operate as one of the Suns' primary scoring weapons, at least not in the way he was during his Portland years, but he should produce enough to remain a solid pickup regardless of your league's format. Read Past Outlooks
RANKS
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From Preseason
#94
ADP
$Signed a four-year, $70 million contract with the Trail Blazers in July of 2022. Traded to the Suns in September of 2023.
Personal Bio/PreCareer Summary

Jusuf Nurkic, the son of Hariz Nurkic, didn't start playing basketball until he was 14 when discovered by a sports agent who read an article about his father, a 7-foot policeman in their hometown of Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Before coming to the NBA, Nurkic played for Cedevita Zagreb of the Adriatic League. He also represented Bosnia and Herzegovina in the 2014 Under-20 European Championship Division B in Sarajevo, helping his country to a tournament championship and capturing MVP honors. In Portland, Nurkic has invested his time and energy towards various charitable causes, working with the Trail Blazers Foundation and other corporate partners to unveil the first of numerous refurbished basketball courts in public parks around the Greater Portland community. He also donated over 800 game tickets last year to the city's Bosnian community and Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization (IRCO). For those efforts, Nurkic was awarded the 2018-19 Maurice Lucas Award, given by the Trailblazers organization to the player who "best represents the indomitable spirit of Maurice Lucas through his contributions on the court and in the community, as well as in support of his teammates and the organization". You can follow him on both Twitter and Instagram @Bosnianbeast27. A native of Bosnia, Nurkic spent time in the Adriatic League prior to arriving in the NBA. In 2012-13, he averaged 3.6 points and 2.0 rebounds for Cedevita before being loaned to Zadar, where he posted 8.1 points, 4.4 rebounds and 0.9 blocks per game. The following year, Nurkic appeared in 58 games for Cedevita, putting up 10.9 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.1 blocks. He also played for Bosnia and Herzegovina in the 2014 U-20 European Championship Division B. Across eight games, Nurkic averaged 21.4 points, 12.0 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 2.6 blocks en route to leading his team to the championship and being named tournament MVP.

Plays just 15 minutes
CPhoenix Suns
October 29, 2024
Nurkic contributed two points (1-6 FG, 0-2 3Pt, 0-1 FT), four rebounds and two blocks over 15 minutes during Monday's 109-105 victory over the Lakers.
ANALYSIS
Nurkic had a nightmare outing Monday, and the Suns struggled mightily whenever he was on the floor. Mason Plumlee played 26 minutes as a result, and this could be a worrying trend to monitor for Nurkic's fantasy managers moving forward.
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Stat Review
How does Jusuf Nurkic compare to other players?
This section compares his stats with all players from the previous three seasons (minimum 200 minutes played)*. The bar represents the player's percentile rank. For example, if the bar is halfway across, then the player falls into the 50th percentile for that stat and it would be considered average.
  • True Shooting %
    An advanced statistic that measures a player's efficiency at shooting the ball that takes field goal percentage, free throw percentage, and three point percentage into account.
  • Effective Field Goal %
    A statistic that adjusts field goal percentage to account for the fact that three-point field goals count for three points while field goals only count for two points.
  • 3-Point Attempt Rate
    Percentage of field goal attempts from three point range.
  • Free Throw Rate
    Number of free throw attempts per field goal attempt.
  • Offensive Rebound %
    An estimate of the percentage of available offensive rebounds a player grabbed while they were on the floor.
  • Defensive Rebound %
    An estimate of the percentage of available defensive rebounds a player grabbed while they were on the floor.
  • Total Rebound %
    An estimate of the percentage of available rebounds a player grabbed while they were on the floor.
  • Assist %
    An estimate of the percentage of teammate field goals a player assisted while they were on the floor.
  • Steal %
    An estimate of the percentage of opponent possessions that end with a steal by the player while they were on the floor.
  • Block %
    An estimate of the percentage of opponent two-point field goal attempts blocked by the player while they were on the floor.
  • Turnover %
    An estimate of turnovers committed per 100 plays.
  • Usage %
    An estimate of the percentage of team plays used by a player while they were on the floor.
  • Fantasy Points Per Game
    NBA Fantasy Points Per Game.
  • Fantasy Points Per Minute
    NBA Fantasy Points Per Minute.
True Shooting %
48.9%
 
Effective Field Goal %
41.3%
 
3-Point Attempt Rate
40.0%
 
Free Throw Rate
57.5%
 
Offensive Rebound %
6.0%
 
Defensive Rebound %
33.5%
 
Total Rebound %
20.6%
 
Assist %
9.9%
 
Steal %
0.6%
 
Block %
2.5%
 
Turnover %
25.9%
 
Usage %
23.8%
 
Fantasy Points Per Game
20.3
 
Fantasy Points Per Minute
0.9
 
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Our historical fantasy ratings are standard scores calculated using 8-Category settings with 12 teams and 13 players per team.
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Suns Depth Chart
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Average Fantasy Points
Average Fantasy Points are determined when Jusuf Nurkic was active vs. non-active during the season. Click here to view average fantasy points for a different time period.
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Past Fantasy Outlooks
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2014
Coming off another disappointing season, Nurkic finds himself as the forgotten man when it comes to fantasy centers. Despite the upside, he has ranked outside the top 100 in three straight seasons, often weighed down by injuries. He closed the 2022-23 campaign as the 123rd-ranked player, averaging 13.3 points, 9.1 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 0.8 steals and 0.8 blocks. Nurkic was set up for another heavy usage campaign in Portland, but he was swapped for Deandre Ayton this offseason as part of the blockbuster deal that landed Damian Lillard in Milwaukee. Nurkic's fantasy value may take a significant hit with the move, but he should still open the campaign as the Suns' starting center. The veteran big man could end up being a nice value pick in the later rounds of drafts, especially if he can put up strong numbers when Kevin Durant rests, but Nurkic's health remains a major concern, likely pushing him off most draft boards in standard leagues.
After injury-riddled 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons, Nurkic stayed relatively healthy last year, though he was shut down at the end of the year with the Trail Blazers tanking, so he appeared in just 56 games in the end. He had a solid bounceback season, ranking 73rd in per-game fantasy production. Nurkic's first 32 games (October through December) were relatively modest, with the center averaging 13.3 points, 9.9 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.1 steals in 25.6 minutes. However, with Damian Lillard shutting down due to an abdominal injury once the calendar flipped to 2022, Nurkic shouldered a larger role. In his final 24 appearances, Nurkic averaged 17.4 points, 12.5 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 2.0 combined steals-plus-blocks in 31.7 minutes. Fantasy managers should be encouraged by his strong finish to the season, though that was largely due to his filling a usage gap left by Lillard. With the star point guard back in the fold, plus Anfernee Simons and Jerami Grant around to take touches as well, Nurkic's production could decline to closer to his production at the beginning of last season. He's a quality option for fantasy managers looking to bolster the center position with a legitimate starter in the later rounds of drafts, but his ceiling is relatively low unless the Blazers' key players are hit by more injuries.
For the past two years, fantasy managers have been chasing Nurkic in hopes he could replicate his fantastic 2018-19 season, when he started 72 games and posted 15.6 points, 10.4 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.4 blocks and 1.0 steals in just 27.4 minutes per game. Injuries completely derailed Nurkic's 2019-20 campaign, limiting him to only eight appearances -- all of which came in the NBA bubble. After a strong showing in Orlando, Nurkic appeared poised to bounce back in 2020-21, but injuries again caused him to miss nearly half of the season, and he never fully returned to peak form. This season promises another fresh start for the 27-year-old, who will likely be set for a boost in minutes after seeing only 23.8 per game last season -- his fewest since 2016-17. But given the events of the past two seasons, Nurkic's health has to be a significant part of the calculation when gauging his fantasy value. The big man from Bosnia can likely be had at a discount in drafts, but managers should ensure they have a backup plan in place.
After recovering from a devastating leg injury that occurred toward the end of the 2018-19 season, Nurkic appeared in eight games -- all in the Orlando bubble -- during the 2019-20 season. He didn't miss a beat and averaged 17.6 points, 10.3 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 2.0 blocks and 1.4 steals in 31.6 minutes, forming an excellent duo with Damian Lillard. Heading into 2020-21, we should expect Nurkic to be the Trail Blazers' co-No. 2 option next to C.J. McCollum. He was clearly in that role during the 2018-19 campaign, when he ranked 34th in fantasy on a per-game basis in eight-category leagues. Potential improvement is still in the cards for the 26-year-old, as well, so fantasy managers could draft him in the third round hoping to cash in on his upside.
Nurkic had a great campaign in his second full year with the Trail Blazers. The big man set career highs in points (15.6), rebounds (10.4), assists (3.2) and steals (1.0) per game, as well as field-goal (50.8) and free-throw (77.3) percentage. He had some big games, dropping at least 20 points on 22 occasions, recording at least 15 rebounds nine times, handing out five or more assists in 20 contests, and blocking 5-plus shots four times. But no performance was bigger than his five-by-five on Jan. 1 against the Kings. Nurkic put up a historic 24 points, 23 rebounds, seven assists, five steals and five blocks across 38 minutes. Things came to a close quickly, however, as Nurkic suffered a fractured leg in late March. He underwent surgery soon after, and it remains somewhat unclear when he will take the court again. Early estimates indicate a possible February return, but even if that's the case, Nurkic will probably be eased back into action slowly. As a result, the big man doesn't have much fantasy value this season outside of a last-round flier. Portland shored up its center depth as well, adding Hassan Whiteside to the fold.
Fresh off signing a four-year, $48 million contract in early July, Nurkic enters the 2018-19 season with designs on a career-best campaign. The 2014 first-round pick enjoyed a solid 2017-18 campaign and encouragingly suited up for a career-high 79 games, but his numbers actually took a hit as compared to the 20 first games of his Portland tenure the year prior following a trade from the Nuggets. Nurkic still generated 14.3 points, 9.0 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.4 blocks last season over 79 games, putting up a career-high 12.0 shot attempts and logging the second-highest usage rate of his career (26.2). The big man’s work on the defensive glass was at elite levels as well, putting up the highest defensive rebounding percentage of his career (26.5) on his way to 27 double-doubles. Given his well-rounded talents, Nurkic slots in at a level just below elite at the center position for Fantasy purposes if he can steer clear of the injury bug.
The 16th overall selection in the 2014 NBA Draft, Nurkic spent his first two seasons in Denver, but ultimately fell out of the rotation during the 2016-17 campaign with the emergence of superstar Nikola Jokic. That prompted the Nuggets to look for a willing trade partner, which the Trail Blazers jumped at and ended up sending Mason Plumlee and a second-round pick to Denver, while getting back Nurkic and a first-round pick. It ended up being an absolute steal for the Trail Blazers, as Nurkic fit in seamlessly as the third option to Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum. In 20 games following the trade, Nurkic ended up averaging 15.2 points, 10.4 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.9 blocks and 1.3 steals across 29.2 minutes, evidencing an all-around game that he'd never shown before. It was a huge bump in playing time from what the 22-year-old center was used to, but he showed no signs of discomfort in taking on a bigger role and nearly doubled his numbers in every category from what he'd averaged in 45 games with the Nuggets earlier in the year. With a full training camp to gel further with his Portland teammates, Fantasy owners should have high expectations for Nurkic in 2017-18. Nurkic should easily vault into the top-10 for centers in season-long Fantasy leagues and his potential to average a double-double will be enticing. The only real negative for Nurkic is the fact that he shoots just 57.1 percent from the free-throw line, which certainly hurts his value in rotisserie style formats. Still, one of the fastest risers in the NBA last season, Nurkic could be in store for his best full season as a professional and he's going into a contract year, which should add even more fuel to the fire. A lower-leg fracture that kept him out of the majority of the playoffs is something to monitor, but he's already expected back for training camp, so it shouldn't linger into the regular season. Nurkic's all-around production should translate to an elite Fantasy center.
As a rookie, Nurkic impressed with his rebounding and rim-protecting abilities, finishing the year with per-36 averages of 13.9 points, 12.5 rebounds and 2.2 blocks in 62 games. Injuries put a major damper on his sophomore campaign, however, as a lower-back strain caused Nurkic to miss the first two months of the season and 50 games in all. Nurkic made his debut on Jan. 2, but went on to battle wrist and hip injuries that would ultimately prevent him from ever establishing a rhythm. While his per-36 numbers were again strong, Nurkic converted just 41.7 of his field goals on a high volume (7.6 per game) relative to his workload (17.1 minutes per game). All indications are that Nurkic is back to full strength entering 2016-17 and is projected to serve as the undisputed No. 2 center behind Nikola Jokic after the team shipped Joffrey Lauvergne to Oklahoma City in the offseason, helping to clear room in what had become a crowded Denver frontcourt. While playing behind Jokic will limit Nurkic’s fantasy ceiling, his per-minute counting stat production has been outstanding when he's healthy, and coach Mike Malone showed a willingness to play the two big men alongside each other late last season. As a result, Nurkic is worth a look later in drafts with the hope that he plays his way into an expanded role.
Nurkic is one of the most exciting prospects for Nuggets fans as he showed a fearlessness last season that very few rookies possess. Through 62 games, he averaged 6.9 points, 6.2 rebounds, 1.1 blocks, and 0.8 steals in 18 minutes per game while shooting 46 percent from the field and 64 percent from the free-throw line. Nurkic often found himself in foul trouble, likely a symptom of his overt confidence and willingness to put his body into his work. In fact, he finished top-five in the league in fouls per minute and struggled to stay in games with his overly aggressive nature. If he can hone in his aggressiveness and focus on beating teams with his elite skills, Nurkic could become a big threat for the Nuggets. What people really love is his ability to play defense, as he provides blocks and steals at an elite rate for a big man. New Nuggets coach Mike Malone got DeMarcus Cousins to play hard on both ends of the floor while taking on an ever-increasing role as a leader, and maybe Malone can do that for this youngster who has a similar skill set with a lower ceiling.
Jusuf Nurkic was drafted by the Bulls with the 16th pick in the 2014 NBA Draft and then traded to Denver, along with the 19th pick (Gary Harris), for Doug McDermott. Nurkic is a space eater at 7-0, 280. He can score around the basket and should be a good defender in the low post. He's just 19 years old and should have time to learn behind Timofey Mozgov, JaVale McGee, and J.J. Hickson at center. Nurkic will most likely be tied to the bench in his rookie season unless the Nuggets shake up their roster a lot this season.
More Fantasy News
Stands out with double-double
CPhoenix Suns
October 27, 2024
Nurkic finished with 18 points (7-12 FG, 0-2 3Pt, 4-8 FT), 14 rebounds, one assist and one block over 30 minutes during Saturday's 114-102 victory over the Mavericks.
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Steady under the basket in loss
CPhoenix Suns
October 18, 2024
Nurkic generated 15 points (6-11 FG, 2-4 3Pt, 1-2 FT), seven rebounds, two blocked shots and a steal across 17 minutes in Thursday's 128-122 loss to the Lakers.
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Gets start Thursday
CPhoenix Suns
October 17, 2024
Nurkic is in the starting lineup for Thursday's preseason game against the Lakers.
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Will be available Thursday
CPhoenix Suns
October 17, 2024
Nurkic (finger) will be available for Thursday's preseason finale against the Lakers, Amanda Pflugrad of 3TV Phoenix reports.
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On track for Thursday
CPhoenix Suns
Finger
October 16, 2024
Nurkic (finger) plans to return to action in Thursday's preseason finale against the Lakers, Chris Haynes of Turner Sports reports.
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Latest Fantasy Rumors
Green light returns
CPhoenix Suns
October 1, 2024
Nurkic "confirmed he will be taking more threes this year," Gerald Bourguet of GoPHNX.com reports, adding that Nurkic's shot was a point of emphasis throughout the offseason.
ANALYSIS
Nurkic connected on a subpar 24.4 percent of 1.2 three-point attempts per game last season over 76 regular-season games and saw his attempts from deep nosedive after the All-Star break, as he attempted just seven threes in 24 games over that span. The 30-year-old noted that "when he stopped taking threes after a rough start to the season, that was a coaching decision, not his," but apparently his green light from beyond the arc is restored entering 2024-25 under new coach Mike Budenholzer.
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