Jazz Issue Sudden Lauri Markkanen Injury Update for Nuggets Game

The Utah Jazz are on the cusp of playing their second of two preseason matchups against the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday night.

However, it seems as if they'll be doing so without their top star in the frontcourt, Lauri Markkanen.

According to a recent update from the Jazz, Markkanen will be newly sidelined against the Nuggets due to neck soreness.

UPDATE:

Lauri is now OUT (neck soreness) https://t.co/UkW1sv5O26
— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) October 7, 2026

Markkanen had been fully healthy coming off of his first preseason game with the Jazz, where he wound up leading the team in scoring with 17 points on 5-12 shooting from the field and 3-7 from three.

However, it seems as if he's dealing with some minor soreness a couple of weeks out from the season, which might simply be a fancy way of saying Markkanen is resting against Denver, yet it will keep him on the sidelines nonetheless.

And it makes some sense for the Jazz to play it safe for their star forward. While there is benefit to getting Markkanen and any other player some preseason reps before arriving at game one of the regular season, no one wants to risk any chance of injury to the top scorer on the roster in an exhibition contest.

Therefore, Markkanen will be joining a trio of absences for the Jazz in their second outing against the Nuggets, joining Kyle Filipowski (back), Jusuf Nurkic (foot), and Brice Sensabaugh (hip); two of whom were sidelined this weekend.

Who to Watch While Lauri Markkanen Is Sidelined

Without Markkanen in this preliminary contest, the door opens up for the Jazz to not only hand over a few more minutes to others around the rotation, but also divide up the scoring responsibilities a bit more than they usually would be if he were taking the lead scoring role.

And the two names who might be able to step up and stick out more than most are the Jazz's pair of top-five picks from their last two drafts, Ace Bailey and Darryn Peterson; each of whom landed 20-plus minutes in their first preseason game over the weekend, and could be trending towards similar usage here in game two against Denver.

Oct 4, 2026; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Utah Jazz guard Darryn Peterson (22) drives past Denver Nuggets guard Tyus Jones (5) in the first quarter at CU Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Without Markkanen, the Jazz might also allow Bailey to slot into his typical spot in the starting lineup, as he can join next to Peterson on the wing, along with Keyonte George and Jaren Jackson Jr.

Jusuf Nurkic being sidelined means the Jazz will also have to turn in a different direction at center for this one, and the most likely bet for that will be Jaxson Hayes, who appeared in 19 minutes of game time on Sunday to record two points, three rebounds, four assists, and three blocks.

Tip-off between the Jazz and Nuggets lands at 7 p.m. MT, where Utah will be looking to win a second-straight exhibition matchup over Denver to continue building up some positive momentum before the games start counting later this month.

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