The Utah Jazz are set to take on the Houston Rockets for their preseason opener. Among the plotlines to look forward to was Lauri Markkanen's potential resurgence. But unfortunately, the Jazz will be without their lone star, a frustrating development given everything that's happened over the past year.
The Salt Lake Tribune's Andy Larsen revealed that Markkanen will miss their upcoming game against the Rockets because of a left wrist contusion.
Jazz injury report vs. HOU:
— Andy Larsen (@andyblarsen) October 7, 2025
OUT - Isaiah Collier (Right Hamstring Strain)
OUT - Kyle Filipowski (Lower Back Injury Management)
OUT - Walker Kessler (Left Shoulder Bursitis)
OUT - Lauri Markkanen (Left Wrist Contusion)
OUT - Georges Niang (Left Foot Stress Reaction)
This actually isn't the most surprising news because Markkanen had been missing time in training camp and didn't participate in their most recent scrimmage. However, it's still unfortunate because many had been looking forward to seeing if his EuroBasket dominance for Finland could carry over to the NBA.
Markkanen was among the biggest standouts during the 2025 EuroBasket tournament where he looked like the Markkanen that became a star for the Jazz. In a season where fans won't see much excitement in terms of winning games, seeing Markkanen look like himself again was something many looked forward to.
It doesn't sound like his injury is serious, but it's unfortunate that fans will have to wait a little longer to see if he can capitalize on his EuroBasket performance.
The other reason why the Markkanen news is so unfortunate
Part of why Markkanen was so disappointing last year was because of a nagging injury that limited his effectiveness. Now that he's hurt again, that would make some believe his injury issues may not be fully behind him.
It would also be a shame to see two years of prime Markkanen get wasted because of unfortunate injuries. Even if it would benefit the Jazz's tank this season like it did last season.
Again, it doesn't sound like this will be a problem for him or the Jazz. If anything, Utah's just being cautious to make sure whatever is going on with him won't be a problem for him this season. In due time, they'll see him take the floor.
Is it the worst news ever? Of course not. Even if he played, would it mean anything in the grand scheme of things? Not in the slightest. With him out, will Utah's young guys get more burn? Most definitely, and that's something the Jazz want to see, though not at the cost of Markkanen's absence.
Pending any surprises, this won't be a long-term problem, but it is a shame that Markkanen will have to wait a little longer to prove that he is still very much the star the Jazz developed him into.