Jusuf Nurkic brings Hornets something they haven't had since Al Jefferson

The regular season is winding down for the Charlotte Hornets, with just four games remaining until the offseason. The Hornets will be in the lottery once again, and who they end up drafting will likely have a big impact on what this roster looks like come October and the start of the 2025-26 campaign.

There were individual performances from the current season that are likely to have an impact on offseason decision-making as well. One of the more underrated players to don a Hornets this season has been Jusuf Nurkic. Acquired in February in the trade that sent Cody Martin and Vasilije Micic to the Phoenix Suns, Nurkic is bringing Charlotte something they have not had in a long time: A center with a big frame that can physically punish opponents on the interior consistently.

Yes, Mark Williams is also seven feet tall. But he does not possess the overall size that Nurkic does, weighing 50 pounds less than him according to the team's official measurements. At 290 pounds, Nurkic brings a different element to the game. The last time the Hornets had a player of his stature was Al Jefferson back in the 2015-16 season. You could somewhat say Dwight Howard in 2017-18, although Howard weighed significantly less at just 265.

Nurkic is Charlotte's first big, physical center in years

I asked Charles Lee about Nurkic's impact after Charlotte's Sunday game against the Chicago Bulls, a contest in which the big man recorded 18 points in just 16 minutes. Lee expressed his appreciation for the luxury that Nurkic's physical presence brings. "We're going to keep taking the best uncontested shot we can, but it is nice to, every now and then, be able to dump it down to him. Be able to take advantage of a mismatch," Lee said.

Beyond just the physicality and ability to play something of an old school game in the post, Nurkic is also a cerebral player that can affect the game in multiple ways. "How he approaches the game, how he's thinking about the game, he sees the next play before it even happens," said Lee. "Or the defensive shifts and coverages, he has such a great feel for the game, he almost becomes like another point guard on the floor ... He's also just a great playmaker. If the game tells him to pass, he'll kick out for one of those open threes too."

Many Hornets fans were probably not expecting a lot out of Nurkic when he was first traded to Charlotte a couple of months ago. But even though the team was never realistically in reach of the playoffs since he arrived, the Bosnian Beast has filled in nicely alongside Mark Williams and Moussa Diabate in the Hornets' center rotation, and his play has been notable on several occasions. It's reasonable to think Charlotte may see Nurkic as someone worth keeping around for next season as well.