Jusuf Nurkić DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

Charlotte Hornets center Jusuf Nurkic will move into the starting five ahead of Thursday's game against the Denver Nuggets. The Hornets are without Mark Williams (rest), so it appears that Nurkic is going to be the next man up. The 30-year-old recently joined the Hornets, but has posted nine points, 16 rebounds, and eight assists in two games with Charlotte. Normally, Nurkic won't be a viable streaming option as the primary backup, but he'll be worth a look with Williams taking a seat on Thursday. Moussa Diabate figures to be the primary backup for this one.

Charlotte Hornets center Jusuf Nurkic (trade) is set to make his team debut against the Orlando Magic on Wednesday. After falling out of the rotation in Phoenix, Nurkic was traded to the Hornets during last Thursday's deadline. Now, Nurkic is set to make his Hornets debut, but he'll be under a minutes limit because he hasn't played since early January. It's unclear where Nurkic stands in the Hornets rotation right now. Mark Williams is back with the team after the trade with the Los Angeles Lakers fell through, but he's not playing right now. Moussa Diabate (eye) figures to see more minutes at the center spot, but he's questionable for Wednesday's game. That being said, Nurkic might end up starting on Wednesday with the Hornets limited on options.

Charlotte Hornets center Jusuf Nurkic is not on the injury report on Monday, indicating that he will be in the lineup against the Brooklyn Nets. The big Bosnian is finally eligible to make his debut with his new crew. Mark Williams is not with the team, and Moussa Diabate (eye) is questionable to suit up, meaning we might see plenty of Nurkic on Monday. It's a good matchup for him against a team that allows the ninth-most fantasy points to opposing centers.

According to Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Hornets center Jusuf Nurkicwon't make his Hornets debut on Friday versus the San Antonio Spurs. The big man was traded from the Phoenix Suns on Thursday before the NBA Trade Deadline. Nurkic has only played two games in 2025 and averaged 16.0 minutes per game off the bench. He started his first 23 games of the season, producing 8.8 points, 9.5 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 1.0 steals in 24.3 minutes per game. If the veteran center steps into an expanded role with Charlotte, he could be a nice fantasy option for the rest of the season. The 30-year-old's next opportunity to play is on Sunday against Detroit.

The Charlotte Hornets acquired Jusuf Nurkic from the Phoenix Suns in a trade on Thursday before the NBA Trade Deadline, along with a first-round pick in exchange for Cody Martin, Vasilije Micic and a 2026 second-round pick. The Hornets traded away Mark Williams to the Lakers and Nick Richards to the Suns earlier during the season, so they have plenty of playing time for Nurkic if he's ready to step back into a full-time role. Nurk has only played two games in 2025 and only averaged 16.0 minutes per game off the bench for Phoenix. He started his first 23 games of the season, producing 8.8 points, 9.5 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 1.0 steals in 24.3 minutes per game. He should have the opportunity to contribute for the short-handed Hornets, and he could be a nice fantasy option the rest of the season if he steps into a large role.