Nick Nurse doesn’t leave Jabari Walker wondering about his standing

Philadelphia 76ers head coach Nick Nurse clarified that forward Jabari Walker has not secured a permanent backup center role despite strong recent play. Walker logged 17 minutes off the bench against the Cleveland Cavaliers, scoring eight points and grabbing five rebounds after replacing the injured Adem Bona. While Nurse praised Walker for playing hard and making an impact, he explicitly stated he is "not at that point" regarding giving Walker regular backup center minutes over a healthy Bona.

Walker avoided an offseason cut when the 76ers opted to trade Johni Broome to finalize Kentavious Caldwell-Pope's signing. After overcoming a three-game absence due to a knee injury, Walker has experienced inconsistent playing time behind centers Joel Embiid and Bona, though he continues to push for a steady rotational spot.