The Utah Jazz hoped to be part of the Western Conference playoff race this season after years of rebuilding. But those plans have gone horribly awry during the opening few weeks of the 2026-27 NBA campaign, and getting back on track just became even more difficult after a sobering update involving star Lauri Markkanen.
Markkanen is expected to miss at least a month of action, the Jazz announced on Nov. 11, after suffering a right hand injury during the team's loss to the Dallas Mavericks last Friday. Markkanen is the latest key Jazz player to be sidelined, and the mounting absences have left Utah tied for the NBA's worst record at 1-10 entering Wednesday's matchup against the Orlando Magic.
Here's more on Markkanen's injury status and what it
means for the Jazz's hopes of reaching the postseason.
Lauri Markkanen injury update
Markkanen has been diagnosed with two nondisplaced fractures in his right hand and will be re-evaluated in four weeks. The good news is a nondisplaced fracture is considered less severe than a displaced fracture, in which the bones are no longer in proper alignment. A non-displaced fracture generally doesn't require surgery.
The 29-year-old forward had already been playing through a sprained right wrist as the Jazz were hit hard with injuries during the first month of the NBA season. An initial X-ray did not reveal the fracture, according to ESPN, but Markkanen underwent scans that revealed more damage after returning to Utah in recent days.
Why Lauri Markkanen's injury could be devastating for Jazz
The Jazz were already teetering to start the 2026-27 season because of injuries, and they've lost 10 of their first 11 games. Utah watched Jaren Jackson Jr. go down for at least two months with a knee injury, while center Jusuf Nurkic has yet to appear in a game this season because of a toe injury. Guard Keyonte George has also been dealing with a sprained ankle and did not play in Tuesday's loss to the Miami Heat.
That leaves rookie Darryn Peterson as the only player from the Jazz's expected Opening Night starting lineup currently available entering Wednesday.
Utah was already struggling with Markkanen in the lineup, and losing its most reliable offensive weapon only makes an uphill climb steeper. His ability to score at all three levels, stretch defenses and create matchup problems is central to everything the Jazz want to do offensively. The timing is just brutal. A team that entered the season hoping to take a step forward is suddenly staring at the possibility of another year buried near the bottom of the Western Conference.
The injury could also create bigger-picture questions for the franchise. The Jazz resisted opportunities to trade Markkanen when his value was arguably at its peak, believing he would be the centerpiece of their return to contention. Now, with Utah off to a disastrous start and its roster ravaged by injuries, the mission is simply to keep the season from slipping away before Markkanen can return.
If this season ends as disastrously as it has started, the Jazz could revisit assumptions that have guided their moves to this point, including whether their current timeline and roster construction around Markkanen remain the right path forward.
Lauri Markkanen stats
Markkanen was averaging 18 points and 6.8 rebounds per game through eight games for the Jazz this season. He was shooting just 38.9% from the floor, which is the worst mark of his career. Markkanen averaged 26.7 points on 47.7% shooting during the 2025-26 season.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Lauri Markkanen injury update could have major fallout for Utah Jazz
