Utah Jazz center Jusuf Nurkić will undergo nose surgery this week and miss the remainder of the season, head coach Will Hardy said prior to Monday’s game against the Houston Rockets. The news was first reported by NBA insider Chris Haynes.
Hardy explained that Nurkić has been dealing with a significant deviated septum and has absorbed multiple blows to the face throughout the year, aggravating the issue.
“He has had a really bad deviated septum in his nose,” Hardy said. “He’s gotten hit in the face four or five times this season, and his recent illness pushed this forward. It’s something he’s needed to address for a while, so he’s going to take care of it now.”
The 31-year-old is averaging 10.9 points and 10.4 rebounds across 41 games in his first season in Utah. Nurkić is set to become a free agent at the conclusion of the season.
“Nurk has been a big part of what we’ve done,” Hardy added. “He impacts the game for us in a lot of ways.”
