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Markkanen's Injury Worsens Jazz's Bleak Season
· Confirmed
In Short: All-Star forward Lauri Markkanen will miss at least a month due to hand fractures, further complicating Utah Jazz's already injury-plagued season.
BREAKING: Lauri Markkanen OUT for at least a month. What is next for Darryn Peterson and Ace Bailey. Locked On Jazz
All-Star forward Lauri Markkanen will miss at least a month after suffering two nondisplaced fractures in his right hand, adding to the Utah Jazz's already injury-riddled season.
Markkanen's absence will leave the Jazz even more shorthanded in the front court, where they are already running out of bodies. Starting center Jusuf Nurkić hasn't played this season due to a toe injury, and Jaren Jackson Jr. Is out with a torn MCL.
The Jazz were expected to compete for a playoff spot this season after winning the No. 1 overall draft pick in the 2023 NBA draft. However, the team is off to an NBA-worst 1-10 start.
Markkanen had already missed the previous two games due to a wrist sprain, but returned to play through discomfort. The injury to his hand is.
In eight games played this season, Markkanen averaged 18.0 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 2.0 assists on 38.9/39.7/84.4 shooting splits.
The Jazz's injury-riddled season continues, with Markkanen joining Jackson and Nurkić as starters missing multiple weeks.
The team is 27-94 overall with Markkanen out of the lineup over the last five seasons.
The Jazz's rebuilding project includes securing Keyonte George, who signed a multiyear extension Friday. George, taken 16th in the 2023 NBA draft, produced career highs of 23.6 points and 6.1 assists per game last season.
The Jazz's injury-riddled season is further complicated by the fact that teams are rarely eager to give away valuable veterans early in seasons, and roughly 29% of all NBA players are not currently eligible for trades because of contracts they signed during the offseason.
Markkanen is making $46.1M this year, and makes $49.8M next year and $53.5M in 2028-29.
The Jazz's nightmare season continues, with Markkanen's injury adding to the team's struggles.
The Jazz will evaluate where the team stands once all three starters return, but the start to the 2026-27 season has been far from perfect.
What this adds
The Jazz's rebuilding project includes securing Keyonte George, who signed a multiyear extension Friday.
The Jazz's injury-riddled season is further complicated by the fact that teams are rarely eager to give away valuable veterans early in seasons, and roughly 29% of all NBA players are not currently eligible for trades because of contracts they signed during the offseason.
Markkanen is making $46.1M this year, and makes $49.8M next year and $53.5M in 2028-29.
The Jazz's nightmare season continues, with Markkanen's injury adding to the team's struggles.
Background
Markkanen, who had already missed the previous two games due to a wrist sprain, returned to play through discomfort but now faces a longer absence.
The Jazz's injury-riddled season continues, with Markkanen joining Jackson and Nurkić as starters missing multiple weeks.
What's confirmed
- The Utah Jazz are facing an extended stretch without Jaren Jackson Jr. after the forward suffered a torn MCL in his right knee.
What's still developing
- The Jazz will presumably seek a cheaper Kessler replacement eventually, and the draft surplus generated by trading him is going to be important once Utah's young core starts to get expensive.
- Last season's big-name deadline acquisition, Jaren Jackson Jr., was already out with a torn MCL, which has a 6-8-week recovery timeline.
- Meanwhile, the Jazz could have had a far deeper and younger frontcourt had they simply made different decisions in the offseason.
- In a season where the Jazz were expected to finally compete for the postseason, they're experiencing the NBA's bleakest start In a season where the Jazz were expected to finally compete for the postseason, they're experiencing the NBA's bleakest start Originally published on cbssports.com, part of the BLOX Digital Content Exchange.
- Jackson suffered a torn MCL three games into a season, while Nurkic had a plantar plate tear in preseason.
- News headlines delivered at 7:00 am Monday - Friday.
- While the 29-year-old Markkanen hasn’t been at the top of his game this season, he’s still a productive player.
- Those dates are a calendar calculation, not a scheduled return announced by the Jazz.
- “We’re thrilled he’s choosing to remain in Utah as a foundational piece as we continue chasing our ultimate goal: a championship.” George, taken 16th in the 2023 NBA draft, comes off a season in which he produced career highs of 23.6 points and 6.1 assists per game while averaging 3.7 rebounds and 1.1 steals.
- An initial X-ray did not reveal the fracture, but Markkanen underwent scans after returning to Utah that showed the cracks.
- Hard to believe after the preseason expectations, but the Jazz could be out of the playoff picture by New Year's Day 2027.
- That impact was felt both in preseason and in the first week of the regular season.
Sources
- CBS Sportslink
- Heavy.comlink
- KSL Sportslink
- KTBS 3link
- Newsweeklink
- The Salt Lake Tribunelink
- Ahnfiredigitallink
- Standardlink
- Espnlink
- Hoopsrumorslink
- CBS Sportslink
- Yardbarkerlink
- Sportslink
- Heavylink
- WarpBeat — background on Jazz's Season Deteriorates as Markkanen Misses at Least a Month link
- WarpBeat — background on Jazz's nightmare season continues with Lauri Markkanen set to miss at least a month link
- Locked On Jazz — video link
- The Basketball Bulletin — video link