Jusuf Nurkić to miss at least two more weeks for Jazz
Nov 6, 2026, 12:05 PM
SALT LAKE CITY – The Utah Jazz will be without starting center Jusuf Nurkić for at least another two weeks.
The team announced that Nurkić had undergone a re-evaluation of his toe injury that he suffered in the team’s first preseason game, but he isn’t ready to rejoin the team.
“Nurkić was re-evaluated by the Utah Jazz medical staff for a second toe injury of his right foot he sustained in the preseason game against Denver on Oct. 4. He is making progress and beginning to participate in on-court activities and will be re-evaluated in two weeks,” the team said in a release.
Per the @utahjazz:
Nurkić was re-evaluated by the Utah Jazz medical staff for a second toe injury of his right foot he sustained in the preseason game against Denver on Oct. 4. He is making progress and beginning to participate in on-court activities and will be re-evaluated in two weeks.
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) November 6, 2026
Jazz have missed Nurkić on the court.
Without Nurkić, the Jazz have lost their best center and one of the league’s top screen setters and playmakers at the position.
And his absence has forced a dramatic shift in the offense.
Instead of generating open looks through Nurkić’s space-creating screens, the Jazz have relied more heavily on dribble penetration to create scoring opportunities.
Through a difficult 1-7 start, the Jazz have seen shooting percentages decline across nearly every area of the floor, along with a noticeable change in where those shots are coming from.
JUSUF NURKIĆ COMES THROUGH FOR UTAH!
JAZZ WIN A THRILLER OVER THE CELTICS. https://t.co/O30asly7b8
— NBA (@NBA) November 4, 2025
The team has reduced its volume of high-efficiency looks at the rim compared to last season and has instead settled for more difficult midrange jumpers.
The Jazz are not only taking fewer shots near the basket, but they’re also finishing them at a lower rate.
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Last season, with Nurkić anchoring the middle, Utah attempted 28.5 field goals per game within five feet of the basket. That figure has fallen to 22.0 this season, the lowest average of any team in the NBA.
The Jazz also have struggled on longer jump shots, with their field goal percentage on shots between 20 and 24 feet dropping from 36.4 percent last season to 27.9 percent year over year.
| Distance | 2025-26 FG% | 2026-27 FG% | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 5 ft. | 64.6% | 60.2% | -4.4% |
| 5-9 ft. | 46.8% | 44.5% | -2.3% |
| 10-14 ft. | 44.0% | 45.5% | +1.5% |
| 15-19 ft. | 40.1% | 43.2% | +3.1% |
| 20-24 ft. | 36.4% | 27.9% | -8.5% |
| 25-29 ft. | 33.1% | 33.9% | +0.8% |
Overall, the Jazz’s field goal percentage has fallen from .467 last season to .429 this year. Their 3-point percentage has also dropped from .345 to .315.
The Jazz will play eight more games before Nurkić’s next evaluation. By then, the Bosnian center will have missed nearly 20 percent of Utah’s season before his next opportunity to return to the court.
Next Utah Jazz Broadcast
The Jazz will travel to face the Dallas Mavericks on Friday at 6 p.m. MST in their first NBA Cup matchup. The game will be televised on KJZZ, streamed on Jazz+, and heard on 97.5 The KSL Sports Zone.
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Ben Anderson is the Utah Jazz insider for KSL Sports and the co-host of Jake and Ben from 2-6pm with Jake Scott on 97.5 The KSL Sports Zone. Find Ben on X at @BensHoops or on BlueSky.
Parts of this article were generated with the assistance of large language models and reviewed by our editorial team.
