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ProFitX 2022 NBA Contract Report: Jusuf Nurkic
Nick Crain 11/3/22 During the offseason, Jusuf Nurkic signed a new four-year, $70 million contract with the Portland Trail Blazers.  The nearly 7-footer had played in over 270 games with the Blazers before being locked in for longer over the summer. He’s now under contract through the end of his projected prime and will be in a Portland uniform through the 2025-26 season barring a trade. At this moment, the Athledex platform projects Nurkic’s Real-Time Contract Value to be $19.19 million, while he’s making just $15.63 this season. Why this is a good deal for Portland? Nurkic is a cornerstone piece for the Trail Blazers as they look to make their final few championship pushes of the Damian Lillard era.   

Double-Double Machine

Last season, Nurkic averaged a double-double with 15.0 points and 11.1 boards per contest. Through four games this season, he’s produced 11.8 points and 12.2 rebounds while already notching a 20 point outing and a 17 rebound performance. He’s the perfect fit in the Blazers’ lineup being a highly productive player while only taking nine shots per game on average.   

Underrated Passer

Not only does Nurkic clean up the glass and produce points in the paint, but he’s also a quality positional facilitator. In fact, he’s already dished out 13 assists through the first week of the season. This makes him a great connecting piece of the offense, generating good looks for his teammates.  

Health Upside

There’s no question Nurkic is worth every penny he’s being paid when healthy. Before the 2022-23 campaign, he’d only played in 101 contests the three regular seasons prior due to various injuries. He’s fully healthy now, and will continue to be a positive return on investment as long as that remains the case.

Strong Frame

Although the modern NBA is all about 3-point shooting, a big has won the past four MVP awards. Even outside of those winners, Nikola Jokic and Giannis Antetokounmpo, guys like Joel Embiid and Rudy Gobert are also cornerstone pieces on contending teams. Players like this are a handful on both ends, with very few players around the league having the size, strength and skill to combat those stars. Luckily for Portland, Nurkic is one of the few that can. 

  Real-Time Contract Value: $19.19 million  

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