Utah’s Lauri Markkanen, who has been in and out of the lineup in recent weeks, is about to be shut down after he re-aggravated an impingement to his right shoulder, the team announced.
Lauri Markkanen Injury Update:
— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) March 31, 2024
After experiencing discomfort in his right shoulder following the 3/27 San Antonio game, Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen underwent an MRI on Friday, which revealed he re-aggrivated a previous right shoulder impingement. He will be re-evaluated in two…
Two weeks would take him right up to the end of the season. Considering the Jazz have lost 11-of-12 and are out of the playoffs — a swoon that ensured they will hold on to their top-10 protected draft pick this June — it’s hard to imagine they would bring him back.
Markkanen is the Jazz’s leading scorer this season, averaging 23.2 points and 8.2 rebounds a game. Those numbers are down slightly from last season when he was an All-Star and voted Most Improved Player, but injuries have slowed him through much of this year.
Markkanen has a partially guaranteed $18 million contract for next season. However, around the league, the expectation is the Jazz will work with him on a renegotiation and extension to keep him in Utah, where Danny Ainge sees him as part of the core to build around.
