Jazz Star Lauri Markkanen Out Two Weeks With Hip, Ankle Injuries Suffered in Practice

As the Jazz trudge through another losing season with their eyes already looking ahead to this year’s loaded NBA draft, the team’s best player got hurt in practice on Wednesday.

The Salt Lake Tribune’s Kevin Reynolds was first to report star forward Lauri Markkanen had suffered hip and ankle injuries on Wednesday afternoon. On Thursday, the 28-year-old underwent an MRI which revealed symptomatic hip impingement with associated inflammation and bone bruise according to ESPN’s Shams Charania. He also twisted an ankle in Wednesday’s practice, but those tests returned clean. Markkanen will be re-evaluated in two weeks which makes the best-case scenario for his return mid-March with a month left in Utah’s season.

Markkanen, an All-Star in 2023, is in the midst of a career scoring year despite Utah’s losing record. He’s averaging 26.7 points and 6.9 rebounds per game, shooting 47.7% from the floor and 35.5% from deep. Despite the upward trajectory of Keyonte George, Markkanen remains the best player on the floor for the Jazz during his minutes and his absence will be felt.

Markkanen joins several of his teammates who recently hit the shelf with injuries and ailments. Two weeks ago, recent trade acquisition and 2024 Defensive Player of the Year Jaren Jackson Jr. was declared out for the season after undergoing surgery to remove a growth in his knee. Earlier this week, center Jusuf Nurkić was sidelined for the year as well due to surgery; in his case it was a nose procedure.

The Jazz are the most notorious tankers in the NBA this season and were hit with a huge $500,000 fine right before the All-Star break. Markkanen’s injury is an unfortunate development but does not change Utah’s big-picture aim of finishing at the bottom of the standings. So far, so good on that front; the Jazz entered Thursday’s game against New Orleans with a 18–40 record, good for 13th in the West.

Utah is currently in the midst of a back-to-back against the Pelicans as the Jazz will be without their star forward for multiple weeks at the very least.

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