The Utah Jazz are going to be without Jaren Jackson Jr. for a while, and the update on his knee makes the loss even tougher to swallow.
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania and Tim MacMahon, Jackson Jr. suffered a torn MCL in Monday night’s game against the Memphis Grizzlies. The injury is expected to keep him sidelined for six to eight weeks. He will not need surgery, but the timetable still pushes his return out at least until December, with more time possible depending on how his recovery goes.
That diagnosis lands as a major blow for Utah, especially because the knee injury was one of two significant ailments to come out of the Grizzlies matchup. Lauri Markkanen also hurt his hand, and the Jazz are still waiting for more information there.
Jackson Jr. had given Utah a strong early return through the first four games of the season. In that stretch, he averaged 16.3 points on 50.0% shooting from the field and 35.7% from the field, along with 5.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.3 blocks. Just as important, he has been a key part of the defensive upgrade the Jazz have been trying to build after struggling on that end for the last few years.
This is also the second knee issue Jackson Jr. has dealt with since arriving in Utah at last season’s trade deadline. In February, he underwent surgery to address a growth in his left knee and made a full recovery in time for the start of this season. Now, four games into the 2026-27 campaign, he’s dealing with a problem in the other knee, and this one will pause his season for the foreseeable future.
With Jackson Jr. out, Utah will need production from the rest of its frontcourt. Kyle Filipowski, Mo Bamba, Jaxson Hayes and Tony Bradley are all set to matter more in the rotation, and Ace Bailey could also see a bigger role thanks to his length on defense and his offensive skill set. Will Hardy may also spend the next few weeks adjusting his starting lineup to find the best fit without Jackson Jr.
Even with those options, replacing what Jackson Jr. brings won’t be simple.
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