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The Utah Jazz kicked off their free agency period earlier this offseason by bringing back a key fixture of last year's frontcourt— signing Jusuf Nurkic to a fresh two-year, $22 million contract.
It was a move that became largely expected once getting closer to free agency following the end of the season. Not only because of the Jazz's interest in bringing back their veteran center who played well in his role last year, but also due to Nurkic's own vocal praise of how well his first year in Utah went.
He arrived via trade with the Charlotte Hornets, slowly adjusted into his new role with the Jazz as a veteran mentor, and even a focal point of their frontcourt while Walker Kessler was out with injury, and after the season, he made it clear that he wanted to be back on the team so long as the front office was willing to extend that offer.
And after officially signing his new deal right before the free agency market opened, it seems as if Nurkic's approval of Utah has only heightened.
Jusuf Nurkic Calls the Jazz the Best Organization He's Ever Played For
During a recent interview with SofaScore, Nurkic talked about how much he values the Jazz franchise when stacked up against some of the other destinations he's been a part of––going as far as calling Utah the best organization he's played for throughout his entire career.
“They're the best organization I've played for in my 12-year career” Nurkic said of the Jazz. “Austin Ainge, Danny Ainge, the owner Ryan Smith, they just did a lot of small things that, you know, mean a lot."
"For example, this gas situation in the world, going to every home game, they fill the tank for our cars. They’re taking our families seriously in the arena. The market, they’re taking them to certain places, you know, hanging out and doing some stuff with them, which is helpful, right?”
Of anyone around the Jazz roster, not many have had as many diverse experiences across the NBA as Nurkic has been a part of. He's played for five different franchises, has had multiple different roles as a starter or bench player, and has over 650 games played through both the regular season and in the playoffs.
So to hear that praise for Utah be so glowing from a guy like Nurkic, it does tend to speak volumes, and those feelings also evolve into a bit of a message he conveys to the young players around the roster who haven't had that same experience outside of playing with the Jazz.
"The young guys on the team, I was having a hard time explaining to them. ''This is not the NBA. This is not every team.' It's such a unique situation to explain. Every team is a little different," Nurk continued.
"I guess there is a certain standard teams shouldn't be below, but they are. When you have what you have, you wanna keep it that way. I think that was the hardest thing for me to explain to the young guys. This is elite, this is not everywhere else."
Now, Nurkic heads into this season with a bit higher expectations than when he first arrived in Utah this time last year.
He's primed to be the Jazz's new starting center upon the departure of Walker Kessler, while also keeping up his production shown from last year while continuing to add some extra value as a veteran mentor for the younger players.
For how well his time in Utah has gone so far, expect him to fully buy into what the Jazz need from him and continue proving himself as a worthwhile addition to the team from when they first acquired him.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/nba/jazz/onsi as Jusuf Nurkic Names Utah Jazz the Best Organization of His Career.
