NBA Rumors: Portland Could Be Blazing Again Soon with Nurkic

The Portland Trail Blazers are currently at the 11th spot of the NBA Western Conference and need all the help they can get. And one missing piece is Jusuf Nurkic who could be back this weekend. The Bosnian has been out since March of last year but it appears he is ready to spring back to action. If all goes well, the 25-year-old could suit up against the Houston Rockets.

To make sure, Nurkic is making sure that he will be ready for the usual pounding that NBA centers get each night. He will practice with the Santa Cruz Warriors first on Wednesday and then likely assess if he is good to go. But from the looks of it, the 16th overall pick of the 2014 NBA Draft is ready to make his long-awaited NBA return, The Athletic reported.

“One more checkpoint for me. That’s my last stop before I finally say yes. But I don’t see (the practice being an) issue,” Jusuf Nurkic said.

Nurkic's numbers are sorely missed by the Blazers this season. Before he got injured, the Bosnian played 24 games and averaged 15.6 points, 10.4 rebounds and 3.2 assists per Basketball-Reference.com. He has been in the league since 2014 and holds career averages of 11.6 points, 8.0 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.3 blocks.

The Blazers tried to make up for his absence, taking in Hassan Whiteside but things just did not work out as coach Terry Stotts had hoped for. There trade rumors tied to Kevin Love but nothing progressed. Hence, the Blazers made do with the manpower they had in two and have somehow managed to stay afloat.

Even if Jurkic were to return, he is unlikely to get heavy minutes. Stotts is likely to use minutes restriction on the 7-footer and take it from there. Regardless, his return would be a big boost for Portland's playoff hopes. Even if they do miss the last bus, fielding in the Bosnian now will help him blend in for next season.

For now, Stotts will hope a returning Damian Lillard will suffice alongside CJ McCollum and Carmelo Anthony. Portland is slugging it out with the Sacramento Kings and the New Orleans Pelicans as they chase the Memphis Grizzlies. They would need at least a five-game winning run to catch up. Unfortunately, they have lost back-to-back games, something that will not help their cause.