Lauri Markkanen Suffers New Injury at Utah Jazz Practice

Add Lauri Markkanen to the list of recent injuries to sweep across the Utah Jazz roster.

According to a report from The Salt Lake Tribune's Kevin Reynolds, Markkanen could miss some time due to an injury suffered in team practice on Wednesday, deemed a right ankle/right hip injury.

Markkanen is expected to get an MRI following the injury to determine its severity.

"Utah Jazz star Lauri Markkanen could miss some time after suffering an injury in practice on Wednesday," Reynolds wrote. "Markkanen will be evaluated for a right ankle and right hip injury, according to a source with knowledge of the situation. The 7-footer will get an MRI to determine the severity of the injury. The source is being granted anonymity because they had not been cleared to speak publicly on the matter."

Lauri Markkanen Suffers Ankle/Hip Injury In Practice

It's yet another hit to the Jazz's rotation after being battered with injuries across recent weeks.

Jaren Jackson Jr. is out for the foreseeable future after undergoing surgery on his knee, Keyonte George has been out for eight of the past nine games with ankle injuries, Jusuf Nurkic has been deemed out for the year for a surgical procedure on his nose, and Vince Williams Jr. suffered an ACL tear in Utah's latest game vs. the Houston Rockets.

Now, Markkanen is the latest entry into that trend that might leave the Jazz's lineup even more shorthanded in the coming weeks. Another tough blow to Utah's rotation, and especially for Markkanen himself as he's been putting together a career-best campaign throughout his time on the floor all season.

Feb 11, 2026; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz forward/center Lauri Markkanen (23) makes a quick move around Sacramento Kings forward Precious Achiuwa (9) during the second half at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Peter Creveling-Imagn Images | Peter Creveling-Imagn Images

In 42 games this year, Markkanen has averaged 26.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 2.1 assists while shooting 47.7% from the field and 35.5% from three in just over 34 minutes a night. It's the highest points per game average he's had throughout his time in the league, already logging over 1,000 points on the season for his third time in Utah.

But now, that productive campaign might now be brought to a halt. And it won't be the first time that Markkanen has been out this year due to injury or illness, if he is indeed slated to miss some time in the regular season.

Markkanen has already missed 16 games on the year, and with two more absences, would leave him ineligible for end-of-season awards due to the NBA's Player Participation Policy.

If Markkanen is out for a few games, it'll likely leave the Jazz's young core to see another bump in their opportunities as they've seen with their multiple recent injuries.

Guys like Ace Bailey, Cody Williams, and Kyle Filipowski would be bound to get more run in the frontcourt to claim his open minutes and the shots that may be available without him, and perhaps lead to another step forward for their ongoing development and growth.

For now though, it remains a wait and see to see exactly what the extent of the injury might be and exactly what amount of time he could be out for, which may inevitably leave Will Hardy to yet again make some tweaks to his rotation and starting lineup.