The Utah Jazz could be seeing two of their core players, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Lauri Markkanen, down with injuries to start the 2026-2027 NBA regular season.
In a video immediately after the final buzzer of the Jazz’s 110-105 loss against the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday, Jazz head coach Will Hardy is seen telling opposing head coach Tuomas Iisalo about what happened to Jackson Jr. and Markkanen during the game.
“I think Jaren tore something, and I don’t know about Lauri,” Hardy said.
Someone please tell me I saw this incorrectly…
What Happened To Jazz’s JJJ and Lauri Markkanen
Jackson left the game with 10:04 remaining in the second quarter after Ty Jerome accidentally landed on his right knee during a drive.
He finished the game with 6 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 assists in 10 minutes of play.
Markkanen exited the game with 5:58 left in the first quarter with a right wrist injury after his arm got tangled up on the perimeter. He finished with 2 points in 6 minutes.
After the game, Hardy stated that the team was waiting for MRI imaging to determine the severity of the injuries.
“We’ll know more tomorrow once they get some imaging,” Hardy said.
Ace Bailey, Mo Bamba, rookie Darryn Peterson and Keyonte George took the cudgels to lead the Jazz in the loss.
These are big blows for the Jazz, who are one of the teams projected to reach the playoffs this year after multiple losing seasons to rebuild their roster.
Utah Jazz Already Want To Win This Season
The Utah Jazz have not been in the playoffs for over five years. This season, they want to return to the postseason on the backs of Lauri Markkanen, and a star-studded young core.
“I want to win, too. We all do,” Hardy said in his interview with Salt Lake Tribune. “When you’re not winning, there’s a collective frustration, but we’ve made sure to communicate and recognize that misguided anger is very dangerous. “We’re not going to take those things out on our own group. We’re all in it together. We all want the same thing. We all want to win … to be a championship-caliber team one day.”
Markkanen believes the current Jazz core is capable of competing with the rest of the Western Conference this season.
“I think we all see how good of a group we have,” Markkanen said in the same interview. “We see the talent we have on the court when we scrimmage; it might be a different guy every day that gets it going. We are really talented.”
“We’re really positive about our group, and we really think that we can do big things. Obviously, I’ve been around for this; it’s my 10th year, so I also know that every year has its own challenges. You can’t predict what it’s going to be, but I think we’re all getting ready, like we’re staying positive and working together.”
However, the team must be healthy to fulfill its full potential. For now, they must hold their breath and hope for the best for Lauri Markkanen and Jaren Jackson Jr., who are key cogs of their starting lineup.
Utah Jazz Coach Brings Bad Injury News About Jaren Jackson Jr. And Lauri Markkanen