Following a disastrous 2021-22 season in which the team won only 27 games, the Portland Trail Blazers are aiming to retool around Damian Lillard. The first step was a deal to acquire Jerami Grant prior to the 2022 NBA Draft and, in searching for long-term upside, the Blazers and newly hired front office voice Mike Schmitz tapped Shaedon Sharpe with the No. 7 overall pick. However, the Blazers still had work to do, and one task was a decision on the status of veteran big man Jusuf Nurkic.
On Friday, we learned that the team wasn’t going to let him get away. Adrian Wojnarowski reports that Nurkic will stay in Portland on a 4-year, $70 million contract.
Free agent C Jusuf Nurkic has agreed on a new four-year, $70 million deal to stay with the Portland Trail Blazers, @KlutchSports CEO Rich Paul tells ESPN. pic.twitter.com/6vmHrdOZI3
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2022
Nurkic has faced injury issues in the recent past, appearing in only 101 games over the last three seasons. The 27-year-old big man did take the floor on 56 occasions in 2021-22 and, while the Blazers did take steps to indicate Nurkic was banged up late in the campaign, it is possible he could’ve exceed that 56-game mark.
While Nurkic is not an elite defender, he brings an adequate skillset on that end of the floor, and he averaged 15 points and 11.1 rebounds per game in his final season under contract. Nurkic also entered the offseason as Portland’s best and most natural target at the center position and, with the Blazers seemingly wanting to win now, his return was paramount. It remains to be seen what the future holds, but this has been a fruitful partnership between player and team that will continue.
Source: https://uproxx.com/dimemag/jusuf-nurkic-re-signs-portland-trail-blazers-free-agency-contract-details/