Predicting Utah Jazz's New Starting Lineup Without Jusuf Nurkic

The Utah Jazz's opening night starting lineup is going to look a little bit different than initially expected later this month without Jusuf Nurkic.

Earlier this week, the Jazz announced that Nurkic would be sidelined for at least four weeks with a partial plantar plate tear of the second toe of his right foot that he suffered during Utah's first preseason game against the Denver Nuggets.

It's a noteworthy loss for the Jazz's frontcourt. Nurkic was set to be a notable piece of this Utah lineup for this coming season as their projected starting center, and now will instead force Will Hardy and the coaching staff to turn in a different direction for their first five on the floor for opening night.

But how could things inevitably shake out for the Jazz once that first game comes? Let's go through a brand-new starting five prediction on how Utah could decide to approach things now that their starting big man is due to miss time.

PG: Keyonte George

Oct 6, 2026; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz guard Keyonte George (3) advances the ball against Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray (27) during the second quarter at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Regardless of what the outlook is at center, nothing changes here at point guard. The Jazz extended Keyonte George on a five-year, $150-plus million extension only a few weeks ago, and it is a clear sign that he'll be Utah's lead guard in the backcourt for the foreseeable future.

SG: Darryn Peterson

Oct 6, 2026; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz guard Darryn Peterson (22) brings the ball up the court against the Denver Nuggets during the second quarter at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Jazz have showcased in their first two preseason games against the Nuggets earlier this week that Darryn Peterson might be their choice to start next to George in the backcourt. Based on his 23-point scoring performance on Tuesday, it's hard to really argue with the decision. Utah has a special talent on their hands.

SF: Ace Bailey

Oct 6, 2026; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz guard Ace Bailey (19) warms up prior to a game against the Denver Nuggets at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Here's where the changes start to come in. In the first two games of the preseason, it's been Ace Bailey as the odd man out of the starting lineup, and most likely to be Utah's sixth man while Peterson takes the two-guard responsibilities.

But having no Nurkic could certainly change things. Without an obvious answer that the Jazz could slot in as their starting center, Hardy might simply opt to go with an offensive-focused, five-out lineup without a traditional big man.

Bailey comes in on the wing, moving the other frontcourt pieces downwards, and really helps the Jazz double down on the scoring talent they have, but also utilize his growing defensive toolset. It's not the worst approach considering the circumstances.

PF: Lauri Markkanen

Feb 5, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen (23) dribbles against the Atlanta Hawks in the third quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

There's no doubt Lauri Markkanen is going to get a spot in the starting lineup as Utah's best player on the roster. The bigger question remains which forward spot he falls into because of the newest implications of Nurkic's injury.

In this case, Markkanen moves down to the four–– where he's had a ton of success throughout his career this far–– but there's also a world where Markkanen simply stays at the small forward spot if a traditional center is the option the Jazz want to roll with.

C: Jaren Jackson Jr.

Oct 6, 2026; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz forward Jaren Jackson Jr. (20) brings the ball up the court against the Denver Nuggets during the second quarter at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Then comes the void at center that Nurkic leaves. And in this case, Jaren Jackson Jr. would be the guy to handle his duties; someone who's often criticized for his fit at the center spot due to a lack of real rebounding prowess, but could still be the best option Utah has to really emphasize their offensive strengths.

Jackson Jr. is not only the best defender the Jazz have on the roster, but he's also a much more versatile fit offensively. Having him at the center spot means Utah can lean on his ability to stretch the floor at a high level, create spacing that benefits the rest of this lineup, and allow Will Hardy to really key in on his strengths as an offensive-minded coach.

Is it a perfect fit? No, not quite. The Jazz could certainly struggle in the rebounding department with this setup. Yet, the hope remains that with a bigger lineup with solid rebounders in Markkanen and Bailey, they can help patch the holes that Jackson Jr. leaves.

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