Jusuf Nurkic’s tenure with the Charlotte Hornets was rather brief.
Just days after sending Mark Williams to the Phoenix Suns for the rights to Liam McNeeley, the Hornets agreed to trade Nurkic to the Utah Jazz for guard Collin Sexton and a 2031 second-round pick, league sources confirmed to The Observer on Sunday.
Originally drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2018, Sexton posted 18.4 points and 4.2 assists in 63 outings with Utah this past season, starting in 61 games. He’s scheduled to earn $18.9 million in 2025-26 the final season of a four-year, $70.9 million contract.
After the Hornets selected 7-footer Ryan Kalkbrenner in the second round of the NBA Draft on Thursday, it made Nurkic expendable. The Hornets also have Moussa Diabate at the position, a player they really like although he’s a bit undersized at center.
Even though he professed a strong desire to stay with the Hornets, Nurkic — acquired in February at the trade deadline when Charlotte originally traded Williams to the Los Angeles Lakers — always seemed like a stopgap on a young team in transition. The soon-to-be 31-year old Bosnian will earn $19.3 million in the final season of a four-year, $70 million deal, making his expiring contract desirable.