How Portland Trail Blazers players rank within 2022 NBA free agency class

Where does Jusuf Nurkic rank among 2022 free agent centers?

Notable center free agents:

JaVale McGee, Dwight Howard, DeAndre Jordan, Serge Ibaka, Derrick Favors, Tristan Thompson, Enes Kanter, Jonas Valanciunas, Hassan Whiteside, Andre Drummond, Willie Cauley-Stein, Frank Kaminsky, Thomas Bryant, Deandre Ayton, Wendell Carter Jr., Mohamed Bamba, Mitchell Robinson, Bol Bol

Many of the notable centers in next year’s free agency class were available this offseason too. The rest are either unproven young guys, players shipped away in salary dumps, or Deandre Ayton.

Jusuf Nurkic is easily the second-best center in this free agency class. Maybe fourth if you really value Mitchell Robinson’s shot-blocking or Bol Bol’s perimeter skills.

Despite that fact, it doesn’t guarantee that Nurk will be hitting a huge payday this summer.

We just saw Andre Drummond sign for a one-year deal worth less than $3 million according to spotrac. The value for the center position as a whole has hit a drastic skid over the last decade. Unless they’re a phenomenal offensive option a la Joel Embiid or Nikola Jokic, most of what a team’s center provides for them can be found cheaper elsewhere.

While Nurk’s production can’t be replicated, it might not be enough to convince a team to shell out eight digits a year to obtain his services.

The Portland Trail Blazers could end up retaining him long-term on a deal that is amiable for both parties.

For a more extensive look on what the Trail Blazers free agents could make on their next deals: