In 2021-22, Jusuf Nurkic averaged a double-double for the Trail Blazers.
Portland has apparently retained another of its marquee free agents this offseason. Per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPNthe Trail Blazers and center Jusuf Nurkic have agreed to a four-year, $70 million deal to remain in Portland.
Free agent C Jusuf Nurkic has agreed a new four-year, $70 million deal to remain with the Portland Trail Blazers. @KlutchSports CEO Rich Paul tells ESPN. pic.twitter.com/6vmHrdOZI3
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2022
Nurkic has spent the last 5 1/2 seasons with the Blazers and has been hampered by various injuries over the past three seasons. However, last season he appeared in 56 games averaging 15.0 ppg, 11.1 rpg, 2.8 apg and 1.1 bpg. Nurkic’s reported deal comes a day after Portland reached a reported pact with swingman Anfernee Simons yesterday.
Nurkic was suspended for the last 22 games of last season with plantar fasciitis as Portland had an injury-ravaged season. Star guard Damian Lillard was the Blazers’ most significant injury this season. He played in just 29 games, the result of a nagging abdominal injury that required surgery in January.
The Blazers finished 27-55 this season, their worst record since 2005-06 when they won just 21 games. Portland also finished 13th in the Western Conference in Chauncey Billup’s first year as head coach of the Blazers and had a streak of eight straight playoff appearances.
Portland named Joe Cronin as their new GM during the offseason after serving in a transition role since December.
Cronin has since reshuffled the Blazers’ roster, completing several trades ahead of the February deadline that brought the team below the luxury tax threshold and cleared room for the cap. The most significant move was guard CJ McCollum’s trade to New Orleans, ending his long run as Lillard’s partner on the Portland backcourt.
The Blazers have stayed true to their plans to reshape the roster in the offseason. They traded for Detroit’s Jerami Grant in the days leading up to the draft — a move that has yet to be officially approved by the NBA. Grant averaged 19.2 ppg in 47 games with the Pistons last season and has improved his numbers greatly over the past two years. He averaged 9.3 ppg in his first six seasons while playing for Philadelphia, Oklahoma City and Denver.
Portland also got some youth in the offseason, adding No. 7 Shaedon Sharpe in the 2022 draft to put him in a backcourt that will include Simons, Lillard and Josh Hart.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
