By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
The Utah Jazz will begin the 2026–27 NBA Regular Season without Jusuf Nurkic.
On Wednesday, the team based in Salt Lake City announced that the veteran center suffered a partial plantar plate tear in the second toe of his right foot. He sustained the injury on October 4 during the NBA Preseason 2026 opener against the Denver Nuggets in Boulder’s CU Events Center. In this lone appearance, he recorded four points, five rebounds, and four assists in 11 minutes.
Medical staff will re-evaluate Nurkic in four weeks. Because of this strict timeline, he is guaranteed to miss the opening weeks of the official campaign.
The setback temporarily disrupts Utah’s frontcourt rotation. The 32-year-old Bosnian big returned to the Jazz with a two-year contract extension after a productive 2025–26 journey. Last year, he started 36 of his 41 games, averaging 10.9 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 4.8 assists. Over his 651-game career, he has suited up for Portland, Phoenix, Denver, and Charlotte. He originally entered the league as the 16th overall pick in 2014 after playing in Turkish Airlines EuroLeague and EuroCup with Cedevita.
Internationally, Nurkic has been a key player for the Bosnia-Herzegovina national team. He competed in EuroBasket in 2022 and 2025. Last summer, he averaged 22.5 points during two FIBA World Cup 2027 Qualifiers matches.
While he undergoes rehabilitation, his side must move forward. The Jazz have two exhibition games left to test new lineups. They open the Regular Season on October 21 against the Memphis Grizzlies at FedExForum.
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