Utah Jazz star forward Lauri Markkanen sustained a left knee injury from a knee-to-knee collision with Spurs center Victor Wembanyama during the fourth quarter of Tuesday night’s 128-115 loss to San Antonio.
An MRI revealed no structural damage to the left knee of Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen
Markkanen, 27, had to be helped off the court and into the locker room. According to NBA.com, Jazz head coach Will Hardy confirmed the contusion after the game.
Although Markkanen is out for Wednesday night’s game against the Denver Nuggets for personal reasons, his left knee has checked out fine, according to league sources.
Per Tony Jones of The Athletic, Markkanen has no structural damage from tests last night. An MRI confirmed initial reports Wednesday morning. This means the All-Star wing avoided a potential season-ending injury.
Regarding Lauri Markkanen: the Jazz star is out tonight for personal reasons
But his knee has checked out fine, according to league sources. He has no structural damage from tests last night and an MRI confirmed as much this morning so it looks like he escaped serious injury
— Tony Jones (@Tjonesonthenba) November 27, 2024
Through 14 games (all starts) this season, Markkanen is averaging 19.5 points, 6.6 rebounds, a career-high 2.2 assists, and 31.7 minutes per contest. Plus, he’s shooting 46.7% from the field and a career-best 41.6% from deep.
However, Markkanen has already missed three games this season for the Jazz. In Utah’s 126-124 season-opener loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on Oct. 23, he scored a season-high 35 points on 9-of-15 shooting and four 3-pointers.
Markkanen signed a five-year, $238 million contract extension with the Jazz in August
During the offseason, Markkanen signed a five-year, $238 million contract extension with the Jazz in August. The extension prevents him from being traded until the 2025 offseason.
“They’ve all showed their belief in me, from the ownership to the front office to Will,” Markkanen told ESPN after signing his deal. “It’s a comfortable environment, and those guys’ résumés speak for themselves. I trust in the organization to help grow me as a person and a player. … I’m ready to take on the challenge.”
The Jazz had listened to trade offers for Markkanen during the offseason, but Utah was never presented a fair deal in return for the eight-year veteran. After the 2024-25 season started, Markkanen said he was relieved that he would only have to focus on playing basketball until at least next summer.
“It’s a weight off my shoulders and I can focus only one the main thing now: playing basketball at a high level,” Markkanen said. “I don’t stress about it, but you can’t pretend you don’t hear that stuff. It’s a good feeling knowing that I’m going to be in Utah.”
Markkanen is one of three 7-footers to make 1,000 3-pointers in NBA history, including Dirk Nowitzki and Channing Frye. He’s also the only 7-footer to make 175 3-pointers in multiple seasons, per Stathead.
