Jusuf Nurkic Playing His Best Basketball Before Trade Deadline

Bailey, the Jazz’s fifth overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, scored a career-high 25 points on 11-of-16 shooting.

Jusuf Nurkic recorded his second straight triple-double with 17 points, 14 assists, and 11 rebounds. He became the first Jazz player to post triple-doubles on consecutive nights since Pete Maravich did so from Jan. 17–19, 1975.

Utah Jazz Come Up Short At Home Despite Ace Bailey Career High

Another Triple-Double: What Should Jazz Do With Jusuf Nurkic?

If the Jazz hoped to shop Nurkic ahead of the trade deadline, his timing couldn’t be better.

Nurkic has shown that his previous two seasons — split between Phoenix and Charlotte — were outliers. With real minutes in Utah, he has proven to be an effective offensive center, even against elite defenders.

His back-to-back triple-doubles have come against All-NBA caliber bigs in Rudy Gobert and Victor Wembanyama, using his strength to score inside against the longer, leaner big men, while dicing up defenses with double-digit assists when the shot-blockers leave the paint.

threading the needle and rattling the rim 💥 pic.twitter.com/WUoR7ShrnS

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) January 23, 2026

With Nurkic hitting free agency this summer, the Jazz must weigh trading him now against the risk of losing him to a higher offer.

On the flip side, the Bosnian center has become a strong fit in the Jazz’s starting lineup and locker room. Teammates praise his unselfish screening and passing, while providing a different offensive look to Walker Kessler when Kessler was healthy.

If the Jazz had to pick between them, the 24-year-old Kessler would be the clear choice, but keeping both remains a possibility.

Will Hardy talking Jusuf Nurkic’s passing.

It’s amazing how hard people will cut if they think they’re gonna get it. pic.twitter.com/VBUmEylCei

— JP Chunga (@JP_Chunga) January 23, 2026

Nurkic could understandably chase the highest bidder at this stage of his career, though he’s also praised his experience in Utah, both in his role as a mentor and his relationship with coach Will Hardy.

With nearly $130 million earned in his career, he could prefer the comfort and stability of Utah, as long as it comes with a competitive offer, over the unknown that could earn him a few dollars more.

With the Feb. 6 trade deadline fast approaching and Nurkic playing his best basketball in years, the Jazz must decide whether to sell high or invest in him beyond this season.

Bailey’s Career-High Shows Continued Growth

The Jazz have now dropped four of their last five games, with more losses likely as they look to retain their top-eight protected first-round pick. But the team can’t let the final 30-plus games go to waste.

If the Jazz plan to invest in the roster this summer, they need more information about the players already in Utah: who can be trusted as rotation players, who isn’t progressing, and where weaknesses remain.

Showtime dunks and heads up plays 💥🧠

Ace got back in his bag and went off for a career-high 𝟮𝟱 𝗣𝗢𝗜𝗡𝗧𝗦! 🤩#TakeNote presented by @ZionsBank pic.twitter.com/Xi58egxNVY

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) January 23, 2026

Those answers will likely shape how they spend in free agency and how they use their projected top-eight pick—either by drafting another high-upside prospect or trading it to accelerate the rebuild.

One key focus over the next three months will be Ace Bailey’s development. The Jazz already know he fits; now they need a fuller picture of just how good he can be.

At 19, Bailey is already the most promising teenager in franchise history. With 45 points over his last two games, he’s only beginning to tap into his potential.

Most of his scoring currently comes on assisted baskets or offensive rebounds, partly because he isn’t yet a polished isolation scorer and partly because the Jazz haven’t asked him to create much offensively.

It’s not a particularly long list, but Ace Bailey is now the highest-scoring teenager in @utahjazz history.

With 25 points, he now has 413 points on the season, surpassing Dante Exum, who had 393 in his rookie season.

Exum played all 82 games in year one, Bailey has played 38.

— Ben Anderson (@BensHoops) January 23, 2026

Last season, he was one of college basketball’s most dangerous scorers and showed an ability to create his own shot, even with still-developing footwork and ball-handling.

The Jazz can target those two areas of development during this final stretch, giving Bailey a clear roadmap heading into the offseason.

While Keyonte George’s breakout and Lauri Markkanen’s All-Star return have shaped much of the narrative this season, Bailey has exceeded expectations as a rookie and shown he deserves to be a foundational piece moving forward.