Lauri Markkanen out with hip issue as Jazz stay the course

The Jazz may have just gotten another reason to slow this thing down.

Lauri Markkanen has been diagnosed with a right hip impingement and will be reevaluated in two weeks, per Shams Charania of ESPN. The injury occurred during Wednesday’s practice. An MRI on his ankle — also tweaked in that same session — came back clean.

When Markkanen plays, he produces. He’s averaging 26.7 points and 6.9 rebounds in 42 starts. But staying on the floor has been the challenge. After appearing in Utah’s first 22 games, he’s played in just 20 of the past 36, missing time for minor issues and a January illness.

The Jazz are 18-40. Jaren Jackson Jr. and Jusuf Nurkic are already done for the season. Utah has every incentive to protect its top-eight protected 2026 first-round pick. The league even fined the franchise $500,000 recently over player management decisions.

There was brief chatter about the NBA sending an independent doctor to review Markkanen’s MRI. That report was later clarified. The league simply has access to imaging, as outlined in the CBA.

Bottom line?

Utah isn’t chasing wins right now. And Markkanen’s timeline fits that reality.