Lauri Markkanen will miss at least one month with a non-displaced fracture in his right hand, sources told ESPN. The injury leaves the Utah Jazz without one of their two leading scorers during a 1-10 start.
Markkanen, 29, has averaged 18.0 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 2.0 assists in 30.9 minutes through eight appearances this season. He had already missed Utah’s last two games with what the team previously listed as a right wrist sprain.
The Jazz have lost nine straight. The injury is the latest problem for a team that entered the season with a plausible path to the play-in tournament and has since watched its core fall apart.
The practical effect is simple: Utah loses one of its leading scorers for at least a month. Guard Keyonte George averaged 21.1 points through 10 games, and Markkanen’s 18.0 points per game were close behind. His absence forces coach Will Hardy to rebuild the rotation around players who were already struggling. Josh Green will likely start in his place, while Brice Sensabaugh, Darryn Peterson, and Ace Bailey should see additional minutes and scoring opportunities, according to RotoBaller.
How the injury happened
Markkanen had been playing with a heavy wrap on his shooting wrist before sitting out the last two games. The Yahoo Sports report confirmed that the previous public update listed a right wrist sprain and that the fracture diagnosis followed.
The one-month timeline is a minimum, not a fixed return date. Hand fractures in basketball players are usually re-evaluated on a week-to-week basis, and the Jazz have not said when Markkanen will be re-examined.
A season already derailed
The Jazz entered the season with a decent shot at the play-in spots. ESPN’s preseason projection had them finishing 34-48 and taking the 10th seed in the Western Conference. That projection depended on a core that has been dismantled by injuries in the opening month.
Jaren Jackson Jr. played four games before tearing the MCL in his right knee. Jusuf Nurkic has yet to appear because of a foot injury. Keyonte George sprained his right ankle against the Timberwolves and missed the next game.
Utah’s injury run mirrors a wider NBA pattern this season. The Cavaliers lost Jarrett Allen to a knee injury that left him game-time decision, and the Lakers dealt with LeBron James’s sciatica earlier in the season.
What it means for the Jazz
Utah’s front office now faces a clear choice. With the team 1-10 and its best scorer out, the front office can either keep building around the injured core or move Markkanen, whose contract and trade value remain the team’s most portable assets. For now, the Jazz have said only that Markkanen will be re-evaluated after one month.
The loss also narrows the margin for a team that has little room to spare. A month without Markkanen makes a play-in push unlikely unless George and the returning Jackson stay healthy.
Other contenders are dealing with the same injury grind. The Spurs have ridden Victor Wembanyama’s historic start, while the Lakers have leaned on Luka Doncic’s 45-point night to stay in the hunt.
How long will Lauri Markkanen be out?
At least one month, according to sources who spoke to ESPN. That timeline would keep him out through late November and force the Jazz to play without one of their leading scorers during a nine-game losing streak. A further update from the team is expected once the hand is re-evaluated.
