Jusuf Nurkić Bio
Jusuf Nurkić is a Bosnian professional basketball player who plays center for the Utah Jazz of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Born on 23 August 1994 in Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina, he represents the senior Bosnia and Herzegovina national team in international competition. Nurkić was selected by the Chicago Bulls with the 16th overall pick in the 2014 NBA draft before being traded to the Denver Nuggets on draft night. Standing at 6 ft 11 in and 290 lb, he is known for his rebounding, passing, and interior defense.
Across his NBA career, Nurkić has suited up for the Denver Nuggets, Portland Trail Blazers, Phoenix Suns, Charlotte Hornets, and Utah Jazz. He earned a place on the NBA All-Rookie Second Team in 2015 and won a Croatian League championship with Cedevita in 2014, when he was also named Croatian League Finals MVP. His combination of size, court vision, and physical play has made him one of the most recognizable Bosnian players in modern NBA history.
Early Life and Background
Jusuf Nurkić was born on 23 August 1994 in Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina, though some biographical sources list his birthplace as Živinice, a nearby town. He grew up in a country rebuilding after the Bosnian War, where basketball emerged as a popular outlet for young athletes. His father, Hariz Nurkić, is a police officer in Bosnia and Herzegovina and stands at a similar height to his son at about 7 feet, while weighing over 400 lb, giving Jusuf an obvious physical pedigree.
Nurkić did not begin playing basketball until the age of 14, when Bosnian sports agent Enes Trnovčević brought him to Slovenia and gave him an opportunity to train and compete. He played in the youth categories for Slovenian team Zlatorog Laško, where his size and coordination quickly stood out. In February 2012, he was briefly loaned to Union Olimpija in order to play the Nike International Junior Tournament in Belgrade, where he averaged 18.8 points and 11.0 rebounds in five games, drawing international attention.
Just days after that tournament, Nurkić parted ways with Zlatorog Laško and was soon revealed to be training with Croatian club Cedevita. That move would set the stage for his professional breakthrough in Zagreb and, eventually, his path to the NBA draft.
Path to Basketball
Nurkić signed his first professional contract with Croatian team Cedevita Zagreb in October 2012, joining a respected Euroleague program. In his first season, he had a small role under head coach Aleksandar Petrović, mostly playing in garbage time, and appeared in only six Euroleague games while averaging 1.8 points per contest. In January 2013, hoping for more minutes, he was loaned to Zadar until the end of the season, a move that helped him adapt to the pace of senior professional basketball.
During his second season at Cedevita under head coach Jasmin Repeša, Nurkić made significant strides in the regional Adriatic League, averaging 11.6 points and 5.6 rebounds per game in just 16.3 minutes of action, with his playing time limited by foul trouble and conditioning issues. In 2014, he was nominated for the FIBA Europe Young Player of the Year Award, an honor that confirmed his status as one of the top young big men in European basketball. That spring, he declared for the NBA draft, where the Chicago Bulls selected him 16th overall before trading him to the Denver Nuggets on draft night.
Jusuf Nurkić Career
Early Career (2012–2014)
At Cedevita Zagreb, Nurkić developed from a raw teenager into a productive Adriatic League performer. He helped the club capture the Croatian League championship in 2014 and was named Croatian League Finals MVP that same year for his impact in the decisive series. He was also selected to the All-Croatian League Second Team, recognition of his two-way contributions as a 19-year-old center.
On the international stage, Nurkić starred for Bosnia and Herzegovina’s youth teams. He was the MVP of the FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship Division B in 2012, averaging 19.4 points and 13.3 rebounds per game, and repeated the honor at the FIBA Europe Under-20 Championship Division B in 2014 with averages of 21.4 points and 12.0 rebounds. These performances cemented his reputation as a potential first-round NBA prospect.
Denver Nuggets Breakthrough (2014–2017)
Nurkić made his NBA debut on 29 October 2014, recording five points and seven rebounds in an 89–79 victory over the Detroit Pistons. By January 2015, he had notched his first career double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds against the Chicago Bulls, and within days he added a second double-double featuring five blocks against the Memphis Grizzlies. He was named a participant in the 2015 Rising Stars Challenge but declined for personal reasons, and he closed his rookie year with a season-high 17 points against the Golden State Warriors before undergoing surgery in May to repair a partially torn left patellar tendon.
After missing the start of the 2015–16 campaign while recovering, Nurkić returned on 2 January 2016 and gradually rediscovered his form, recording a career-high 21 points in a victory over the San Antonio Spurs. In the 2016–17 season opener, he set a new career high with 23 points against the New Orleans Pelicans and posted 18 rebounds against the Toronto Raptors shortly after. However, with Nikola Jokić emerging as Denver’s starting center, Nurkić was demoted to the bench, voiced his unhappiness publicly, and requested a trade twice before Denver moved him 10 days before the 2017 deadline.
Portland Trail Blazers Era (2017–2023)
On 13 February 2017, Nurkić was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers, where he quickly became a central figure. He debuted on 15 February with 13 points and seven rebounds off the bench and soon posted a career-high 28 points and 20 rebounds, with eight assists and six blocks, against the Philadelphia 76ers, a stat line not matched since Charles Barkley’s 1986 game. He set another career high with 33 points against his former Nuggets team, then suffered a non-displaced fracture in his right leg that ended his 2016–17 regular season. He returned in time for the playoffs against the Golden State Warriors, helping Portland push the eventual conference champions before being swept in four games.
Over the next several seasons, Nurkić established himself as a walking double-double and one of the league’s most distinctive passing big men. On 1 January 2019, he recorded 24 points, 23 rebounds, seven assists, five blocks, and five steals against the Sacramento Kings, becoming the first player since steals and blocks became official in 1973 to post a 5×5 game with at least 20 points and 20 rebounds. Days later, he notched his first career triple-double with 10 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists against the Cleveland Cavaliers. His Portland tenure was also marked by a devastating compound fracture of his left tibia and fibula on 25 March 2019, an injury that cost him the rest of the season and a long stretch of subsequent play, including much of the COVID-shortened 2019–20 campaign. He re-signed with Portland on a four-year, $70 million contract in July 2022.
Phoenix Suns Era (2023–2025)
On 27 September 2023, Nurkić was part of a three-team trade that sent Damian Lillard to the Milwaukee Bucks and brought Nurkić, Grayson Allen, Nassir Little, and Keon Johnson to the Phoenix Suns. He debuted on 24 October 2023 with a 14-point, 14-rebound double-double that included a game-securing layup against the Golden State Warriors, and he later delivered a 20-point, 17-rebound, eight-assist performance with a game-winning floater against the Chicago Bulls. On 3 March 2024, he set a Suns franchise record with 31 rebounds against the Oklahoma City Thunder, the highest single-game rebound total by any NBA player since 2010.
His Phoenix tenure grew more turbulent through the 2024–25 season. On 28 December 2024, he was suspended for three games without pay after an altercation against the Dallas Mavericks, and in January 2025, the Suns moved him out of the starting lineup in favor of Mason Plumlee, eventually moving him out of the rotation. On 6 February 2025, Phoenix traded Nurkić to the Charlotte Hornets alongside a 2026 first-round pick in exchange for Cody Martin, Vasilije Micić, and a 2026 second-round pick.
Charlotte Hornets Era (2025)
Nurkić’s time in Charlotte was brief. Traded to the Hornets in February 2025, he joined a young roster in the middle of a rebuilding campaign, providing veteran size and frontcourt experience. On 29 June 2025, he was dealt again, this time to the Utah Jazz in exchange for Collin Sexton and a 2030 second-round pick, beginning a new chapter of his career.
Utah Jazz Era (2025–Present)
Joining the Utah Jazz in the summer of 2025, Nurkić slotted into a roster in transition and produced one of the most unusual statistical stretches of his career. On 25 January 2026, he became the first player in franchise history to record three consecutive triple-doubles, underscoring his continued value as a playmaking center. In 41 total appearances, including 36 starts, he averaged 10.9 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 4.8 assists for the Jazz. On 23 February 2026, the team announced that Nurkić would undergo season-ending nose surgery, pausing his progress as Utah evaluated its young core.
Driving Style and Strengths
Although best known as a traditional back-to-the-basket center in his early years, Nurkić has developed into one of the NBA’s most reliable passing big men. He reads the floor from the high post and short roll, and his size allows him to see over defenders. He is also a strong positional rebounder and a physical interior defender, and his career high in assists reflects a comfort in initiating offense from the elbow.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among his signature moments, Nurkić’s 1 January 2019 5×5 game with 20+ points and 20+ rebounds stands out as historic, as does his 31-rebound performance for the Suns in March 2024, which set a new franchise record. His three consecutive triple-doubles for the Utah Jazz in January 2026 also made him the first player in that franchise’s history to accomplish the feat.
Jusuf Nurkić Career Wins
Although Nurkić is traditionally judged by counting stats and team success rather than trophies, his resume includes several verified honors. He won a Croatian League championship with Cedevita Zagreb in 2014 and was named Croatian League Finals MVP the same year. He was also selected to the All-Croatian League Second Team in 2014 and the NBA All-Rookie Second Team in 2015.
International Highlights
Nurkić was the MVP of the FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship Division B in 2012 and repeated the honor at the FIBA Europe Under-20 Championship Division B in 2014. He represented the senior Bosnia and Herzegovina national team during EuroBasket 2017 qualification, averaging 19.2 points, 13.5 rebounds, and 1.0 blocks per game, and he also featured at EuroBasket 2022, where he averaged 16.2 points and 7.0 rebounds across the tournament and helped Bosnia and Herzegovina upset defending champions Slovenia 97–93.
Other Performances
Beyond the NBA, Nurkić’s Euroleague and Adriatic League work with Cedevita Zagreb and Zadar laid the foundation for his draft stock, while his sustained production in the NBA has produced multiple double-double seasons, a 5×5 game, three consecutive triple-doubles with the Jazz, and a Phoenix Suns franchise record for rebounds in a single game.
Jusuf Nurkić Family
Family Background and Basketball Lineage
Nurkić comes from a physically imposing family. His father, Hariz Nurkić, is a police officer in Bosnia and Herzegovina and stands around 7 feet tall while weighing more than 400 lb, a frame that mirrors his son’s own. Jusuf has a younger brother who, by the age of 13, was already engaged in basketball, wore size 16 shoes, and was eyeing a collegiate path in the United States.
Personal Life
Jusuf Nurkić is a practicing Muslim, a faith he has spoken about publicly, including a 2021 social media post marking the start of Ramadan. He has largely kept his private life out of the spotlight, with no public spouse or children reported in verified sources. His NBA career has taken him across the United States, from Denver to Portland to Phoenix, Charlotte, and finally Utah.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 calendar year was one of the most eventful of Nurkić’s career. He opened the year with the Phoenix Suns, where his role had already begun to shrink following a December 2024 suspension. By 6 January 2025, the Suns had moved him out of the starting lineup in favor of Mason Plumlee, and within days he was out of the rotation altogether. On 6 February, Phoenix sent him to the Charlotte Hornets in a multi-asset trade that included a 2026 first-round pick going the other way.
After a short stint in Charlotte, Nurkić was traded again on 29 June 2025, this time to the Utah Jazz in exchange for Collin Sexton and a 2030 second-round pick. With the Jazz, he settled into a starting role and quickly made history, becoming the first player in franchise history to record three straight triple-doubles in January 2026. He finished his Jazz appearances averaging 10.9 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 4.8 assists before a season-ending nose surgery was announced on 23 February 2026.
Looking ahead, the Utah Jazz are expected to continue building around a young core, and Nurkić’s blend of size, playmaking, and veteran poise gives them a stabilizing presence in the frontcourt. His 2025–26 campaign, despite the early ending, offered a reminder of his unique statistical profile and left open the question of how he will fit into Utah’s longer-term plans once he returns to full health.