Will Hardy on Tony Bradley: Jazz add size and feel with Jusuf Nurkic sidelined

Will Hardy wasted no time explaining why the Jazz spent their final roster spot on Tony Bradley: with Jusuf Nurkic sidelined, Utah needed another body that can defend the paint, and the coach believes the returning center brings more than height.

Bradley took part in his first practice with the club on Sunday, a day after Utah claimed him off waivers from the Knicks. Hardy told reporters the move was about “some extra size,” pointing straight to the Nurkic injury, and added that Bradley’s basketball sense should help a young group, calling him “a super intelligent player.” He described Bradley’s first session as a day of soaking up the playbook and asking questions.

We've claimed Tony Bradley off waivers.

It's a return to Utah for Bradley, who began his career (2017-20) with the Jazz.

Details 📰 https://t.co/pgDFteDdQy#TakeNote pic.twitter.com/N5FNiv7lyn

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) October 17, 2026

Why the Jazz needed a center now

Nurkic was hurt in Utah’s first preseason game, against Denver on Sunday, October 4, and the team later diagnosed a partial plantar plate tear in the second toe of his right foot. He is due to be re-evaluated four weeks after that update, which rules him out of at least the first stretch of the regular season.

That has left the starting center job with Jaxson Hayes, who started next to Jaren Jackson Jr. during the preseason and has spoken about taking a next-man-up approach while Nurkic heals. Behind Hayes, third-year big man Kyle Filipowski sits ahead of Bradley on the depth chart, according to Jazz On SI, so Bradley’s minutes will likely depend on foul trouble, matchups against bigger frontcourts and how quickly he relearns Hardy’s system.

A low-cost return to Utah

Bradley, who stands 6-foot-10, began his career with the Jazz after they drafted him 28th overall in 2017 and spent three seasons with the club. His claim fills Utah’s 15th standard roster spot. The contract carries no guarantee for now: the Jazz pay him by the day, and the deal becomes fully guaranteed only if he is still on the roster at the league-wide January guarantee date. That gives Utah a cheap insurance policy with a clear exit before the bill grows.

For a team building around young guards, Hardy’s emphasis on Bradley’s feel rather than his size alone is telling. The Jazz want a backup who can talk through coverages and be in the right spot, not just absorb fouls.

What comes next

The Jazz open the 2026-27 regular season at the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday, October 21, at 8:00 pm ET at FedExForum. Follow the game in the Jazz-Grizzlies Game Center, then the home opener against the Pelicans on Friday, October 23, in the Pelicans-Jazz Game Center. Utah’s roster, schedule and results are on the Jazz team page.