The Jazz forward is averaging 18.0 points and 6.8 rebounds this season and will be reevaluated in four weeks.
Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen has been diagnosed with two nondisplaced fractures in his right hand, the team announced Wednesday.
Markkanen sustained the injury during Utah’s Nov. 6 game against the Dallas Mavericks. Following further evaluation, the Jazz confirmed the diagnosis and said he will be reevaluated in four weeks. The team did not provide a timetable for his return.
The 29-year-old forward is averaging 18.0 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.0 assists in eight games this season, shooting 39.7% from 3-point range. He scored 24 points and connected on eight 3-pointers in his most recent appearance against Dallas.
“There’s no replacing Lauri,” coach Will Hardy said. “I think we’re going to have to do it in different ways. I think we need to maximize the skill sets of all the players that are playing.”
The 29-year-old Finnish forward is in his fifth season with Utah after four with Chicago and one with Cleveland. He was an All-Star in the 2022-23 season, his first with the Jazz, when he averaged 25.6 points and 8.6 rebounds and was named the NBA’s Most Improved Player.
Utah has been hit hard by injuries early in the season, with forward Jaren Jackson Jr. (knee) and center Jusuf Nurkic (toe) out.
