- Jusuf Nurkic, now the oldest Utah Jazz player, embraces his veteran role.
- Nurkic aims to mentor young players, enhancing their skills and team dynamics.
- He praises Utah's culture and looks forward to contributing to the Jazz's growth.
SALT LAKE CITY — Jusuf Nurkic was a bit taken aback by the question: How does it feel to be the oldest member of the team?
"Thirty is now old?" the new Jazz center said with a grin.
On this Utah Jazz roster, it kind of is.
Nurkic, who turns 31 in August, is now the elder statesman of the team — nearly three years older than anyone else. That alone speaks volumes about his new situation. He's been deep in the playoffs with Damian Lillard in Portland, and joined a Phoenix team with title hopes.
The Jazz? They're young, very young.
Utah dealt 26-year-old guard Collin Sexton as part of the deal to bring Nurkic in — a move to create space for even more youthful guards.
"Sounds crazy that I'm the oldest, but I'm looking forward to it," Nurkic said. "Just to be a leader for them, showing the way and how to be a pro; that's super important."
And when it comes to creating space for those young guards, Nurkic can help there, too. Just ask Lillard.
For years, Lillard thrived running off Nurkic's punishing screens in Portland. Now, it'll be Keyonte George, Isaiah Collier, and Walter Clayton Jr. getting the same treatment.
"With the fast pace and playing at altitude here, I think they'll definitely like that," Nurkic said. "So I'm looking forward to it."
In fact, he called joining the Jazz a "dream" situation — a young, athletic team, a pass-friendly offense, and a coach whose system he admires.
"They play so much off-the-ball stuff," he said. "I just love to share the ball."
So even with the youth, he likes the look of his new squad.
"I think I fit perfectly," he said.
It wasn't that long ago Nurkic was considered a top-10 center in the league. But injuries, age, and less-than-ideal situations slowed his production.
He's expected to back up Walker Kessler in Utah — and serve as a mentor of sorts to the Jazz's emerging big man.
"(He's a) super, super athlete. Young, talented guy — can definitely take the next step in screening and passing," Nurkic said. "So I'm looking forward to working with him and helping in any way I can."
As for his new home, Nurkic thought he had Utah figured out. After 11 seasons in the league, he'd made plenty of trips to Salt Lake City — enough to know about the passionate fans and the tough environment.
Turns out, he didn't know all that much.
"Knowing what I know in 11 years in the NBA about Utah, I feel like I had to delete it," he said. "Because what I just saw yesterday and today and day before, I feel like it was a super nice state. Reminds me a little bit of Portland and Phoenix kind of mixed. … It's cool to be an environment where it's like a family style — so good culture."
