Jusuf Nurkic Out 4+ Weeks with Injury, Latest Updates on Jazz Star Ahead of NBA Season

Utah Jazz center Jusuf Nurkić suffered a partial plantar plate tear of the second toe in his right foot and will miss at least four weeks, per NBA on Prime senior insider Chris Haynes .

The 32-year-old Nurkić is entering his 13th NBA season and second with the Jazz. The 6'11", 290-pound big man averaged 10.9 points on 50.3 percent shooting, 10.4 rebounds and 4.8 assists in 26.4 minutes per game over 41 contests (36 starts) last season.

Nurkić was slated to start the season as Utah's center again, and that was his spot Sunday, when Utah began the preseason at the Denver Nuggets. He played 11 minutes and posted four points, five rebounds and four assists in a 109-97 victory.

Nurkić did not participate in an open practice on Monday, per Shreyas Laddha of the Salt Lake Tribune .

He did not play on Tuesday in Utah's 117-106 preseason home loss to Denver.

Jaxson Hayes, an eight-year veteran who played for the New Orleans Pelicans and Los Angeles Lakers before signing a two-year deal with Utah this summer, started for Nurkić.

Utah also has Kyle Filipowski and Mo Bamba on the roster to play center.

Looking ahead, a four-week timeline means Nurkić will miss Utah's first eight regular-season games (Oct. 21-Nov. 4) at minimum.

As Ben Anderson of KSL Sports noted, the Jazz can bring someone else aboard.

Nurkić fared well for Utah last year for a Jazz team that needed center help after Walker Kessler missed nearly all of 2025-26 with a labral tear in his left shoulder. He proved to be a big asset down low, especially on the boards.

Unfortunately, Nurkic missed 41 games, including the final 27 contests after undergoing nose surgery for a deviated septum. Now this season has started with more bad luck on the health front.

Hopefully Nurkić gets back to 100 percent health ASAP and returns soon after this four-week timeline, as Utah clearly relied on him to make a strong impact this season.