Jusuf Nurkic signs four-year, $70 million deal with Trail Blazers

The Portland Trail Blazers have signed Jusuf Nurkic to a four-year deal worth $70 million, according to Adrian Wojnarowski.

Nurkic had trouble getting going early in his career as a backup big man, averaging just 19.1 minutes per game in his first three seasons. Once he got traded to Portland, he took off as a double-double machine. Nurkic was averaging 15.6 points and 10.4 rebounds per game prior to suffering a compound knee fracture in 2019. He has played just 101 games over the past three seasons and that injury history is concerning for his long-term outlook.

As a player, Nurkic provides some stability and size in the middle. He is a liability defensively but can make a positive impact on the boards. He’s entering what should be the prime of his career, so he does have some value as a starting center for a contending team. We’ll see if Nurkic can get past nagging injuries to play a large chuck of the 2022-23 season.