Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen has been diagnosed with a right hip impingement and will be reevaluated in two weeks, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.
The injury occurred during Wednesday’s practice. Markkanen also rolled an ankle in the same workout, but an MRI showed no damage to the ankle.
When available, the 26-year-old has been productive, averaging 26.7 points and 6.9 rebounds across 42 starts this season. Staying on the court has been more difficult: after appearing in Utah’s first 22 games, he has played in just 20 of the past 36 because of minor ailments and a bout with illness in January.
The Jazz enter Friday at 18-40 and are already without Jaren Jackson Jr. and Jusuf Nurkic, who are out for the year. The organization also faces pressure to safeguard its top-eight-protected 2026 first-round draft pick. Last month the NBA fined Utah $500,000 for violations related to player management.
There were brief discussions about the league sending an independent physician to review Markkanen’s imaging; the NBA later clarified that it merely has access to medical scans under the collective bargaining agreement.
Utah is not expected to rush its leading scorer back to action, and the two-week timeline aligns with the team’s current approach.
Source: Hoops Wire
