Jusuf Nurkic Out at Least Four Weeks With Right Foot Injury
Nurkic will miss at least the next four weeks after a partial plantar plate tear of the second toe in his right foot, with an estimated return date of Nov. 4, 2026. He enters the season coming off a 2025-26 campaign in which he averaged a double-double, and his early preseason minutes were already limited before the injury shut him down.
By the Jazz Nightly Desk · updated 5 d ago01The story of the nightThe Injury ReportNurkic is out with a partial plantar plate tear of the second toe in his right foot.
Nurkic is out with a partial plantar plate tear of the second toe in his right foot. Chris Haynes of NBA TV reported that Nurkic will miss at least the next four weeks, and the estimated return date is listed as Nov. 4, 2026. The issue first showed up on the injury report on Oct. 16, 2026, as Out with a foot and leg designation on the right side. For a 7-foot, 290-pound center who plays through contact in the paint, a toe injury that affects push-off and balance is the kind of thing teams watch closely before easing him back into the rotation.
02Last Season by the NumbersIn 2025-26, Nurkic played 41 games for Utah and averaged 10.9 points, 10.4 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 1.3 steals and 0.5…
In 2025-26, Nurkic played 41 games for Utah and averaged 10.9 points, 10.4 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 1.3 steals and 0.5 blocks in 26.4 minutes a night. He shot 50.3 percent from the field, 35.2 percent from three and 54.9 percent from the line, with a true shooting mark of 54.8 percent. His usage rate sat at 18.6 percent, and his plus-minus was minus-4.6. The rebounding and passing numbers were the headline: a center averaging close to five assists a game is unusual, and it showed Nurkic working as a hub in the offense even as the team's shooting efficiency around him lagged.
03Preseason SnapshotBefore the injury sidelined him, Nurkic's minutes were already trending down.
Before the injury sidelined him, Nurkic's minutes were already trending down. On Oct. 4, 2026, in a win over Denver, he logged 4 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists in 11.4 minutes. Two games later, in a loss to Denver on Oct. 6, he did not see the floor, finishing with 0 points in 0.0 minutes. The same happened again on Oct. 12 in a win over San Antonio, another zero-minute line. Whether that pattern was load management, a role adjustment or an early sign of the foot issue isn't specified, but it's worth watching once he's cleared to return.
04Who Is Jusuf NurkicNurkic is a 32-year-old center in his 12th NBA season, wearing No.
Nurkic is a 32-year-old center in his 12th NBA season, wearing No. 30 for Utah. He stands 7-feet tall and weighs 290 pounds, giving the Jazz size at the five that few teams can match. He came up through Cedevita before his NBA career. Last season's 10.4 rebounds per game show that size still translates into production on the glass, even as his role and minutes have shifted over a long career. At this stage, he's a veteran interior presence the Jazz lean on for rebounding and playmaking out of the post rather than scoring volume.
05What to WatchThe Nov.
The Nov. 4, 2026 target gives Utah a rough timeline for when Nurkic could rejoin the rotation, but Haynes' report frames four weeks as a floor, not a ceiling, for a plantar plate tear. Until then, the Jazz will need other bodies at center to cover his minutes and his rebounding. When he does return, the question is whether he looks like the player who averaged a near double-double last season or needs time to shake off the toe injury. His preseason minutes were already inconsistent before the injury, so his conditioning on return is worth tracking too.
Nurkic10.9 ppg
Gobert10.9 ppg
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