Lauri Markkanen’s season has taken another hit, and this one will keep him out for at least a month.
The Jazz said Markkanen suffered two nondisplaced fractures in his right hand during Friday’s game against Dallas and will be reevaluated in four weeks. The injury was first believed to be a sprained wrist, which had already sidelined him for the last two games.
It’s the latest setback in a stretch that has repeatedly interrupted Markkanen’s time in Utah. The former All-Star forward has been limited to 66, 55, 47 and 42 games in his first four seasons with the Jazz.
Before the injury, Markkanen had appeared in eight games this season and was putting up 18.0 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 30.9 minutes per night. His shooting has been uneven, with a career-low 38.9% from the field, though he has still hit 39.7% of his three-pointers.
Utah entered the season believing a healthier Markkanen, along with Jaren Jackson Jr. and other new pieces, could push the team back into the West race after four years of rebuilding. That plan has already been derailed in a big way: Jackson is out for six to eight weeks with a torn MCL, and the Jazz are off to a 1-10 start.
Markkanen is making $46.1MM this season and will be extension eligible next summer. His contract calls for $49.8MM in 2027/28 and $53.5MM in 2028/29, and he would become a free agent that summer if no new deal is reached.
With the season going sideways early, Utah may have to move quickly on whether to keep trying to salvage it or start looking at the trade market. Among the veterans who could draw interest are Jusuf Nurkic, Josh Okogie, Jaxson Hayes, Mo Bamba, Tony Bradley and .
In Other News...
Lauri Markkanens Injury News Just Made Utahs Rotation Even Thinner
Utahs rotation took another hit with Lauri Markkanen now dealing with a right-hand injury that will keep him out for a significant stretch. The forward has sustained a non-displaced fracture and is expected to miss at least a month, a setback that comes on top of the earlier wrist strain he dealt with this season.
For a Jazz team already trying to navigate a long list of sidelined key players, the timing is especially rough. Markkanens absence strips away one of the groups most dependable scoring options and leaves Utah with even less margin for error as it tries to piece together minutes and production from an already stretched roster. [Read more 🡒]
Jazz Get One Meaningful Pre-Game Question As Injuries Keep Piling Up
The injury list keeps growing around Utah, and the latest pregame update leaves the Jazz trying to piece together another lineup on the fly. Trey Alexander, Jaren Jackson Jr., Lauri Markkanen and Jusuf Nurkic are all out, another reminder of how thin the rotation has become as the season grinds on and availability keeps shifting from night to night.
There is at least one bit of movement worth watching before tipoff: Keyonte George is questionable after missing one game with a right ankle sprain. For a Jazz team already leaning hard on depth, any chance to get him back matters, especially with Markkanen now facing a longer absence and the offense needing someone to help steady the backcourt while the injuries keep piling up. [Read more 🡒]
Lauri Markkanen Injury Leaves Jazz Facing An Early Season Breaking Point
Lauri Markkanens latest injury has only deepened an already rough opening for Utah, with the forward now sidelined after a right hand issue that was first described as a wrist sprain. The update matters because Markkanen has been one of the few players the Jazz could count on for stability as they try to settle into the 2026-27 season, and losing him strips another layer from a roster already trying to find its footing.
The bigger concern for Utah is how quickly the injuries are piling up around him. Markkanen is now part of a growing list that has left the Jazz scrambling for answers in the early going, and the timing could hardly be worse for a team that has already spent much of the season in survival mode. How Utah manages the next stretch without him may say a lot about whether this start becomes a temporary stumble or something far more damaging. [Read more 🡒]