Jazz Exec Said Something Interesting on Kevin Love, Nurkic's Free Agency

The Utah Jazz don't have a ton of names from last year's roster hitting the open market this offseason, but a couple of interesting names bound to be unrestricted free agents with a real case to return on a new deal.

That's none other than veteran big man duo Kevin Love and Jusuf Nurkic; each of which have openly campaigned for their desire to stay with the Jazz following their first season in the mix.

Both guys turned out to have a both solid and surprising impact during their year in Utah in their respective ways. Love was a unique, experienced vet that made a huge imprint on the Jazz's young and developing locker room, while Nurkic became a pleasant surprise on the floor with his versatility as a rebounder, screener, and underrated playmaker.

So when factoring in both of their vocal interest in returning, combined with the positive impact they had in their brief stay, there's a good case to be made that there's a mutual fit for a signing to come to fruition for both sides.

And it seems like for Jazz president Austin Ainge, he might be onboard to put pen to paper on a pair of new contracts as well.

During a recent interview on KSL Sports Zone, Ainge was asked about the state of Love and Nurkic's pending free agency and the interest in potentially re-signing them, making a note that even he would love to have them back in the fold.

"I think that's great," Ainge said of Love and Nurkic's desire to stay in Utah. "And they were awesome this year, so that matters even more."

"This is an awesome place to play. All the guys love it here. Utah is a great place. So, I think there's going to a lot of people that want to be here. But, I'd love to have those guys."

Traction Building on Potential Nurkic, Love Return

It seems like the momentum only continues to build on both Nurkic and Love coming back for at least one more year, as both the Jazz's staff and front office, paired with those playing alongside them in Utah's locker room, have understood and recognized the value each can offer.

And on the surface, it likely wouldn't take many financial hoops to jump through in order to bring both on later this summer.

Nurkic will be a slightly more pricey due to the impact he can bring as a solid rotational big man, but Love might be someone who's willing to play on a veteran minimum deal if Utah were willing to offer one his way.

Apr 10, 2026; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz center Jusuf Nurkic (left) and forward Kevin Love (right) react to a play against the Memphis Grizzlies during the first half at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

More than likely, their future fit on the 2026-27 roster depends more on how the Jazz's overall 15-man landscape shakes out leading into next season, and whether there's space to be had for two veteran bigs like Love and Nurkic amid their aspired improvements around the edges.

The Jazz will add a new rookie into the fold, are likely to make a couple of subtle roster tweaks in an effort to help boost their defensive upside, and that could lead to a bigger domino effect for what Utah's bench looks like once opening night rolls around.

However, if all holds to form, and no drastic shakeups come into the frame for the Jazz's rotation, Nurkic and Love are starting to feel primed to run it back in Salt Lake City. And this time, they should be able to be a part of much better in-season results in the process.

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