Jusuf Nurkic's NBA career has continued spiraling downward ever since the Portland Trail Blazers moved on from their former starting center in 2023.
Most recently, Nurkic was called out by Adis Beciragic, head coach of Bosnia and Herzegovina's national team, as they prep for EuroBasket. Nurkic finished with 15 points, but it's apparent that he wasn't as impactful as his head coach would've liked in their 102-90 loss to Montenegro.
"Nurkic is out of shape and can barely run," Beciragic said, via BasketNews.
Blazers dumped Jusuf Nurkic at the perfect time
The Blazers sent Nurkic to the Phoenix Suns as part of the blockbuster three-team Damian Lillard trade. In return, Portland received Deandre Ayton and Toumani Camara. Many viewed Camara, a second-round pick, as a throw-in piece. But two years later, it became clear that Camara was actually the most valuable player.
Camara is also the only one still on the team who traded for him. Portland bought out Ayton this summer, who landed with the Los Angeles Lakers after two underwhelming seasons in Portland. But as disappointing as Ayton's time in Rip City was, Nurkic's career trajectory has been significantly worse.
The Suns struggled with an imbalanced roster, wrongfully scapegoating Nurkic for their flaws (that remained an issue well beyond Nurkic's departure). As a result, Phoenix sent Nurkic and a 2026 first-round pick to the Charlotte Hornets in exchange for Cody Martin, Vasilije Micić, and a 2026 second-round pick.
However, Nurkic wasn't much better in Charlotte, averaging 9.2 points and 6.5 rebounds in 26 games. He's now with the Utah Jazz, who confusingly sent over Collin Sexton and a future second-round pick to get the big man. That's already shaping up to be a loss on Utah's end, as they landed a 30-year-old center who should technically still be in his prime but clearly isn't after his head coach's latest comments.
This latest development proves that Blazers general manager Joe Cronin moved on from Nurkic at the perfect time, as he hasn't been the same player since that 2022-23 season. The gamble on former No. 1 overall pick Ayton justified the trade alone, as it was a worthwhile flier on a more talented center to see if he could benefit from a change of scenery.
Of course, that didn't go as planned, but Portland landed an absolute gem in Camara in the process. He averaged 11.3 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 2.2 assists on 46/38/72 shooting splits this season, surprisingly emerging as a key building block in Portland's rebuild.
This trade was already a win as Camara was a catalyst behind Portland's newfound identity with his defensive versatility. But the fact that Portland was able to wash its hands clean of Ayton while Nurkic's career hits rock bottom continues to widen that gap in the Blazers' favor.