Jusuf Nurkic is facing one of the most pivotal moments of his career, and it is playing out under the harsh glare of both international and NBA scrutiny. Bosnia and Herzegovina head coach Adis Beciragic did not hold back following his team’s 102-90 loss to Montenegro in Sarajevo, bluntly stating that:
“Nurkic is out of shape and can barely run.”
While the veteran center did manage 15 points in the defeat, his coach’s assessment painted a far more troubling picture, one of a player whose conditioning is well below the standard required at the highest levels.
Nurkic’s struggles come at a particularly critical time. After an uneven 2024-25 season with the Phoenix Suns, where he started 23 games before being moved to a bench role by head coach Mike Budenholzer, he was traded midseason to the Charlotte Hornets.
That stint was short-lived, as the Hornets shipped him to the Utah Jazz in the offseason in exchange for Collin Sexton. Now, at 30 years old and on the final year of his contract, a deal that will pay him $19.3 million, Nurkic is staring down the reality that if his conditioning and production do not improve, this could be his last big payday in the NBA.
His numbers last season were steady but unspectacular: 8.9 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game, shooting 47.7% from the field and just 30.5% from three-point range. Those stats, combined with the concerns over his fitness, are fueling doubts about whether Nurkic can still anchor a frontcourt in the modern NBA.
The league is increasingly leaning toward versatile big men who can run the floor and switch defensively, areas where an “out of shape” Nurkic risks being exposed.
Beciragic’s comments were not limited to Nurkic alone, but the singling out of the Jazz center sent a clear message: his physical state is holding the team back. Bosnia and Herzegovina have struggled badly in EuroBasket warm-ups, with heavy losses not just to Montenegro, but also to Serbia in a closed-door 126-89 blowout, and even back-to-back defeats against China earlier in the summer.
With a group stage looming that includes Spain, Italy, Greece, Georgia, and host nation Cyprus, the team cannot afford its most experienced player to be a liability in pace and stamina.
For Nurkic, the implications extend far beyond national pride. A poor EuroBasket showing could amplify the perception around NBA front offices that he is on the decline, making him a risky signing even as a backup. At 30, he is still young enough to have several productive years left, but the league has little patience for centers who cannot keep up with the modern game’s demands.
This tournament might be his last chance to silence critics and prove that he can still be a reliable, starting-caliber center. If he fails to show improvement both in conditioning and in impact, the $19.3 million he earns this season could mark the peak of his remaining NBA income. The next stop for Jusuf Nurkic, if things do not change quickly, may not be another NBA city at all.
