The Utah Jazz have had a slew of injuries over the past few weeks, and they just announced another one, as Jusuf Nurkic will miss the rest of the season, according to NBA insider Chris Haynes.
“BREAKING: Utah Jazz starting center Jusuf Nurkić will undergo a surgical procedure on his nose Wednesday that will sideline him for the remainder of the season, league sources tell me,” Haynes wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
Nurkic has missed the past few games because of the injury, and now he'll be sidelined for the season. The Jazz just announced over a week ago that Jaren Jackson Jr. would miss the rest of the season as he underwent surgery on his left knee to ensure his long-term health.
The Jazz have been one of the topics of discussion over the past month due to tanking allegations, and the recent news of Nurkic probably doesn't make those claims any better. The Jazz were fined earlier in the month for sitting Jackson and Lauri Markkanen in the fourth quarter of one of their games, but head coach Will Hardy noted that they were on minutes restrictions.
The league must have thought differently, as they're trying to come down on teams throwing games on purpose for better draft positioning in the future.
There was a recent memo sent to all 30 general managers NBA plans to make anti-tanking rule changes for next season, which included that first-round picks can be protected only top-4 or top-14+, lottery odds freeze at the trade deadline or a later date, and other scenarios.
The Jazz are currently 18-39 and 13th in the Western Conference standings, and with the recent injuries, it wouldn't be surprising to see them continue to slide as the season continues. That would help them have better odds at a top pick, which could help them build their team with more exceptional talent.
