Utah Jazz lose Jusuf Nurkic for season after scheduled nose surgery

The utah jazz center Jusuf Nurkic will miss the rest of the season after scheduling nose surgery on Tuesday, a development that removes another veteran big man from Utah’s rotation and compounds a growing frontcourt injury crisis. Nurkic has experienced breathing and sleeping complications since fracturing his nose a few years ago, and the team has ruled him out for the remainder of the campaign.

Utah Jazz frontcourt takes hit

Nurkic’s pending surgery means the Jazz will finish the season without one of their primary centers. He averaged 10. 9 points, 10. 4 rebounds and 4. 8 assists in 41 games this season while also recording 1. 3 steals. His shooting splits this year were 50% from the floor, 35% from three-point range and 55% from the free-throw line. The center is under contract through the end of the season and will enter unrestricted free agency after the 2025–2026 season.

Nurkic’s surgery and medical background

The procedure is scheduled for Tuesday and is intended to address ongoing breathing and sleeping problems tied to a prior nasal fracture. Those complications have persisted since the earlier injury, and the team has decided the operation will end Nurkic’s season. Exact recovery timelines have not been released and remain unclear at this time.

Immediate roster and lineup implications

The Jazz were already without two other bigs for the season. One teammate was shut down indefinitely following removal of a noncancerous growth from his left knee, a decision announced on Feb. 12. Another center underwent left shoulder surgery at the start of the season and has not played since. Utah currently sits 13th in the Western Conference with an 18-39 record.

With Nurkic gone, the team is expected to rely more on their remaining frontcourt options. Possible short-term rotations include Kyle Filipowski, veteran Kevin Love and a two-way contract player currently listed at the center position. The club could also explore playing Lauri Markkanen at center unless he is shut down. Those adjustments are presented as immediate, practical responses to a roster constrained by surgery and other season-ending moves.

What this means looking ahead

Removing Nurkic from the roster creates several near-term and offseason considerations. In the short run, the Jazz must cobble together minutes in the frontcourt to finish the season; player workloads, lineup experimentation and defensive matchups will drive usage decisions for the remaining games. From an offseason perspective, the team will head into next summer with Nurkic set to become an unrestricted free agent, which could factor into roster planning and cap considerations when healthy players return and evaluations continue.

Key takeaways

• Jusuf Nurkic will miss the remainder of the season after scheduling nose surgery on Tuesday.
• The Jazz already have two other big men sidelined and sit 13th in the Western Conference at 18-39.
• Short-term rotation options include Kyle Filipowski, Kevin Love and a two-way center; Lauri Markkanen could be shifted to center if available.