Hornets center Jusuf Nurkic's playing status vs. Magic gets pivotal update
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The Charlotte Hornets were one of the most active teams leading up to the trade deadline. One of the moves they pulled off was to facilitate a salary dump for Jusuf Nurkic from the Phoenix Suns, acquiring a 2026 first-round pick in the process. Now, Nurkic is not expected to play a huge role whatsoever for the Hornets after being cast out of the rotation in the Valley. But at the very least, it looks as though he’ll be back to suiting up in no time.
According to NBA insider Chris Haynes, Nurkic will be making his debut for the Hornets on Wednesday night when they take on the Orlando Magic. The 30-year-old center will reportedly be on a minutes restriction, which is understandable, considering that he hasn’t played a single minute of NBA action since the seventh of January in a game that coincidentally was up against the Hornets.
It’s not quite clear what role Nurkic will be playing for the Hornets moving forward. The team seems to be interested in assessing what they have in Moussa Diabate, a rebounding machine who hustles his heart out in every minute he spends on the hardwood. Diabate’s contract was recently converted from a two-way deal to a three-year contract, a testament to the belief the organization has in the 23-year-old big.
Diabate, however, is questionable to play against the Magic after suffering an eye injury, which could pave the way for more minutes for Nurkic even though he might be on a minutes restriction. At the very least, Nurkic should soak up some backup minutes over another veteran in Taj Gibson as the Hornets try to revive his trade value and perhaps flip him for some assets in the near future.
Can Jusuf Nurkic beat the washed allegations with the Hornets?
When the Suns acquired Jusuf Nurkic in a package for Deandre Ayton back in 2023, Phoenix saw him as someone who could anchor their defense and act as a bit of a playmaking hub at the high post. Nurkic, however, has been one of the most turnover-prone bigs in the game, and it’s not like he has made up for it with his impact in other areas.
When the Suns benched him for Mason Plumlee, of all people, earlier this season, it became clear that Nurkic was no longer the player he once was even at age 30. But perhaps there could be a career revival of sorts awaiting him on a lackluster Hornets team.
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