Jusuf Nurkic Says He’s Still In His Prime

It has been a challenging few years for Jusuf Nurkic of the Charlotte Hornets.

After playing for the Portland Trail Blazers, Nurkic was sent to the Phoenix Suns but he never really meshed with that team and recently moved to the Hornets.

His numbers have dipped and some people have criticized his playing, but Nurkic thinks he can still achieve a lot.

He recently said that he’s in his “prime” and promised big things to Charlotte fans.

“I’m still young. I just turned 30 this past summer. I feel like I’m in my prime, and I can do a lot of things. We’re in a position where we can win some games, and I want to be out there with the players trying to win games,” Nurkic said, per NBACentral.

Jusuf Nurkic says he’s still in his prime

“I’m still young. I just turned 30 this past summer. I feel like I’m in my prime, and I can do a lot of things. We’re in a position where we can win some games, and I want to be out there with the players trying to win games.”

(Via… pic.twitter.com/zUOXzZVi80

— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) March 4, 2025

Since coming to Charlotte, Nurkic has averaged 7.7 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game.

For the first half of the season, he was putting up 8.6 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 1.9 assists for the Suns.

His last few months with the Suns were complicated and saw Nurkic being taken out of the starting five and then eventually removed from the rotation entirely.

At that point, a lot of people wondered what was next for him and how he could push through that rough patch.

He clearly is still not the player he was when he was with the Blazers, but Nurkic says he is young and still has a lot to prove.

With that being said, the Hornets are the 14th team in the East and have a 14-46 record.

He said they can win games, but fans aren’t so sure, and many are already planning ahead for next season.

The post Jusuf Nurkic Says He’s Still In His Prime appeared first on The Cold Wire.