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Why it was so important for Blazers to re-sign Jusuf Nurkic

By Nate Mann

PORTLAND, OR - APRIL 11: Damian Lillard #0 of the Portland Trail Blazers and Jusuf Nurkic #27 of the Portland Trail Blazers speak during the game against the Utah Jazz on April 11, 2018 at the Moda Center Arena in Portland, Oregon. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Sam Forencich/NBAE via Getty Images)
PORTLAND, OR - APRIL 11: Damian Lillard #0 of the Portland Trail Blazers and Jusuf Nurkic #27 of the Portland Trail Blazers speak during the game against the Utah Jazz on April 11, 2018 at the Moda Center Arena in Portland, Oregon. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Sam Forencich/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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The Portland Trail Blazers officially re-signed Jusuf Nurkic to a four-year, $48 million deal on Friday night. After losing Ed Davis, re-signing Nurkic was essential.

So far, the Blazers’ offseason hasn’t gone exactly to plan. The team let Ed Davis go to Brooklyn for $4.4 million, then signed two guards to replace Pat Connaughton and Shabazz Napier.

In a press conference Friday morning, Neil Olshey defended his three moves. Davis was let go because of floor spacing issues in the playoffs, and Connaughton and Napier were “upgraded.”

Losing these three fan favorites for little return tore Rip City fans apart.

After a week of other Western Conference teams getting stronger while Portland stood idle, the team finally got some good news. Jusuf Nurkic re-signed on a four-year contract worth $48 million.

Roster needs

Portland’s roster solidified in the second half of last season. That roster included a big man rotation made up of four players.

Al-Farouq Aminu and Nurkic played the four and five with the starting unit. Rookie Zach Collins and Davis subbed in for them and manned the paint with the reserves.

However, losing Davis opens up the backup center position. If Nurkic didn’t re-sign, then the Blazers would’ve had no returning center from 2017-2018. Stotts probably would’ve chosen to start Collins at the five, but he’s not ready for such a big role yet.

By retaining Nurkic, Collins can continue coming off the bench and gradually play more minutes.

The new big man rotation will probably look like this.

  • PF: Al-Farouq Aminu, Caleb Swanigan.
  • C: Jusuf Nurkic, Zach Collins.

Nurkic’s return also doesn’t force the coaching staff to give substantial time to Meyers Leonard or Georgios Papagiannis.

Contract details

Jusuf Nurkic’s new contract is worth $48 million over four years. The fourth year is partially guaranteed.

Unfortunately, this deal pushed Portland over the luxury tax line by $6 million. With 14 guaranteed contracts, the Blazers will foot a luxury tax bill of $9 million.

Even with the additional $9 million, signing Nurkic to this contract was a major win. At $12 million per season, he ranks outside the top 20 among all centers in terms of salary.

Remember the trade Portland made for him with Denver? Mason Plumlee is now making $13.7 million per year. Plus, the pick included in that trade turned out to be Zach Collins.

And compared to other centers signed this summer (excluding DeMarcus Cousins), Nurkic was a bargain. DeAndre Jordan signed with the Dallas Mavericks for $22.9 million…he’s not twice as good as Nurkic but is getting paid twice as much.

Team chemistry

Letting Ed Davis go had a clear impact on the current roster. See: Damian Lillard.

https://twitter.com/Dame_Lillard/status/1013290887760269312?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1013290887760269312&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fripcityproject.com%2F2018%2F07%2F01%2Fblazers-davis-farewell%2F

To avoid this happening twice in one offseason, the Blazers needed to re-sign Jusuf Nurkic. He, Lillard and McCollum have developed a close bond both on and off the court over the past year and a half.

CJ, a frequent social media user, expressed his elation after the re-signing became official.

In addition, Nurkic is essential to the team’s offensive chemistry. Over 25% of Lillard’s passes go to Nurkic, mainly off the pick-and-roll. Similarly, 18% of McCollum’s passes go to Nurkic, second only to passes to Lillard.

Without the big man, an inexperienced center would get all of these touches and likely be less efficient, hurting Portland’s offense immensely.

Next: Blazers should have traded for Wilson Chandler

In an underwhelming summer of free agent signings, the Blazers did right by bringing back Jusuf Nurkic. Without Ed Davis, the big man rotation is a lot thinner – losing Nurkic would have only made this worse.

Plus, $12 million per year for a young, evolving center is a steal. With 14 guaranteed contracts on the books, Portland only has a luxury tax bill of $9 million thanks to this bargain deal.