The Jazz are bracing for another stretch without one of their biggest frontcourt pieces. Jaren Jackson Jr. has been diagnosed with a torn MCL in his right knee and is expected to miss roughly six-to-eight weeks, according to sources who spoke to Shams Charania and Tim MacMahon of ESPN.
Jackson won’t need surgery to repair the tear, and the team later confirmed he will be reevaluated in six weeks. Utah also said the news on Lauri Markkanen is more encouraging: he’s dealing with a sprained right wrist and is being treated as day-to-day.
Jackson’s injury came early in the second quarter of Monday’s loss to Memphis. Grizzlies guard Ty Jerome came down into Jackson’s right knee after driving to the rim and drawing a foul from Svi Mykhailiuk. Jackson stayed down in pain briefly, then returned for the next offensive possession before leaving the game for good and being ruled out.
It’s a rough break for a Jazz team trying to move forward after a long rebuild. Utah brought in Jackson at last season’s trade deadline with the idea that he and Markkanen could become one of the league’s most dangerous forward pairings. Instead, Jackson now faces another extended absence only four games into the 2026/27 season, after already undergoing season-ending knee surgery in February following just three games with the club.
Before Monday’s setback, Jackson had been productive in his first three full games this fall. He was averaging 19.7 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.7 blocks in 31.3 minutes per game while shooting .513 from the field, .417 from three and .778 at the line. Utah went 1-2 in those contests and slipped to 1-3 after Monday’s loss.
Markkanen’s exit adds to the short-term concern in the frontcourt, where the Jazz are already without starting center Jusuf Nurkic because of a toe injury. Reserve center Jaxson Hayes also sat out Monday with right shoulder soreness.
With Jackson and Markkanen out, Mo Bamba, Josh Green and Josh Okogie picked up bigger roles in the second half. Tony Bradley also appeared for the first time this season.
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Mo Bamba May Have Forced His Way Into Utahs Rotation
Mo Bambas latest outing gave the Jazz something they have been short on lately: a reminder that there may still be a usable option waiting in the frontcourt. Against Memphis, he logged meaningful minutes and looked the part, giving Utah production on both ends while the rest of the rotation continues to feel the strain of a battered big-man group.
The timing matters because the Jazz are still sorting through a frontcourt picture that is far from settled. With Jaren Jackson Jr. out for an extended stretch and Lauri Markkanen, Jaxson Hayes and Jusuf Nurkic all dealing with various injury concerns, Bambas performance could not have come at a better time. If Utah needs size and rim protection in the near term, he may have done enough to force his way into a larger role. [Read more 🡒]