The Utah Jazz suffered through another rough night at the office against the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday. Not only did the Jazz drop to 4-13 with a 128-115 loss to Victor Wembanyama and Co., but they lost star Lauri Markkanen in the process to a left knee contusion.
Markkanen got hurt in the fourth quarter after a knee-to-knee collision with Wembanyama. The Jazz star had to be helped off the court and into the locker room. Jazz head coach Will Hardy confirmed the contusion after the game, per NBA.com.
Utah hasn’t yet released an injury report for Wednesday night’s game against the Denver Nuggets, so it’s unclear what Markkanen’s status will be. Given it’s a back-to-back this early in the season and the Jazz aren’t exactly prioritizing winning right now, it would be a surprise if the Finnish forward suits up.
Markkanen has already missed three games this season for Utah. He has also seen his overall numbers dip a bit after blossoming into an All-Star talent in recent years, which led to him signing a massive $238 million contract extension this past offseason after trade talks. Just two seasons ago, the big man put up 25.6 points and 8.6 rebounds per game. Those averages dropped slightly to 23.2 points and 8.2 rebounds per game last season but now sit at 19.5 points and 6.6 rebounds per game so far in 2024-25.
Where do Lauri Markkanen, Jazz go from here?
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The hope is Lauri Markkanen’s knee injury isn’t serious. But whether he’s healthy or not, the Jazz are very clearly one of the teams that will be at the front of the line in the Cooper Flagg sweepstakes. At 4-13, Utah is the second-worst team in the Western Conference and sitting at fifth in the Tankathon standings.
With his fat extension in tow, Markkanen is a franchise cornerstone, but he’s not a clear No. 1 guy on a contender and needs way more help. Walker Kessler is a solid center, but his name has been in trade rumors. Keyonte George is a promising youngster who has shown flashes but is still quite raw. 2023 lottery pick Taylor Hendricks is out with a season-ending injury. There are a bunch of veterans like John Collins, Jordan Clarkson and Collin Sexton who are trade candidates.
The Jazz will look to get a true centerpiece in the upcoming draft, whether that’s Flagg or somebody else. For now, cross your fingers on the Lauri Markkanen injury front.
Jason Patt is the head of the editorial team at ClutchPoints. The Illinois alumni specializes in NBA, NFL, and MLB coverage, and he has previous bylines at SB Nation, FanSided, and Forbes.
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