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"He gives us the interior presence that we didn't have that can score with his mismatches in the post," said Terry in a one-on-one interview with RG of Jackson. "But he also stretches the floor and can shoot with high efficiency from three. We love his versatility. Obviously, we know what he does defensively as a rim protector, but his offensive versatility combined with (Lauri) Markkanen, it is a tough, tough combo."
Terry spoke glowingly of the potential of a Jackson-Markkanen backcourt, two All-Stars that will be leading the way for the Jazz. "We're a young team, we're rebuilding, but just made a move at the deadline to get Jaren Jackson Jr, appearing with Lauri Markkanen, which gives us one of the one of the most dominant front courts in the league," Terry said.
Shams Charania: Utah's Lauri Markkanen will be re-evaluated in two weeks after an MRI on Thursday showed symptomatic hip impingement with associated inflammation and bone bruise, sources tell ESPN. Markkanen also twisted an ankle in practice Wednesday but those tests returned clean.
Tony Jones: Lauri Markkanen is undergoing his MRI, I’m told, so the Jazz should have results coming. The NBA is evaluating the results, as standard practice. They did not send medical personnel to Utah. That part I got wrong. My apologies.
Tony Jones: Per sources, Lauri Markkanen’s MRI is scheduled for tomorrow. So the Jazz will know then more definitively what they are dealing with in terms of their star.
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Utah Jazz star Lauri Markkanen could miss some time after suffering an injury in practice on Wednesday. Markkanen will be evaluated for a right ankle and right hip injury, according to a source with knowledge of the situation. The 7-footer will get an MRI to determine the severity of the injury. The source is being granted anonymity because they had not been cleared to speak publicly on the matter.
Q. The league fined the Jazz right before the game. Do you have any thoughts on that fine? Will Hardy: No. Q. Moving forward, their approach to fining you, will that have any effect on who you choose to play? Will Hardy: What do you mean their approach to fining us? Q. So if they continue to fine you for say sitting Lauri Markkanen in the fourth quarter, would you avoid doing that moving forward? Will Hardy: I sat Lauri because he was on a minutes restriction. So if our medical team puts a minutes restriction on Lauri, I'll try to keep Lauri healthy.
NBA Communications: NEW YORK, Feb. 12, 2026 - The NBA announced today that it has fined two teams related to the management of their rosters for recent games. The Utah Jazz organization has been fined $500,000 for conduct detrimental to the league related to the team's games against the Orlando Magic on Feb. 7 and the Miami Heat on Feb. 9. During those games, the Jazz removed two of the team's top players, Lauri Markkanen and Jaren Jackson, Jr., before the beginning of the fourth quarter and did not return them to the game, even though these players were otherwise able to continue to play and the outcomes of the games were thereafter in doubt. In addition, the Indiana Pacers have been fined $100,000 for violating the Player Participation Policy in connection with the team's game against the Utah Jazz on Feb. 3. Following an investigation, including review by an independent physician, the NBA determined that Pascal Siakam, a star player under the Policy, and two other Pacers starters, neither of whom participated in the game, could have played under the medical standard in the Policy, including by playing reduced minutes. Alternatively, the team could have held the players out of other games in a way that would have better promoted compliance with the Policy. "Overt behavior like this that prioritizes draft position over winning undermines the foundation of NBA competition and we will respond accordingly to any further actions that compromise the integrity of our games," said NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. "Additionally, we are working with our Competition Committee and Board of Governors to implement further measures to root out this type of conduct."
Shams Charania: On Feb. 7 and 9, the Jazz removed Lauri Markkanen and Jaren Jackson Jr. before the beginning of the fourth quarter and did not return them to the game. The Pacers were fined for violating the player participation policy for holding out Pascal Siakam and two other starters Feb. 3.
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The Utah Jazz have found a brilliant loophole around that policy while still finding a way to tank. In the last two games, the Jazz started Jaren Jackson Jr., Lauri Markkanen and Jusuf Nurkić . Granted, Nurk isn’t a star player, but he’s being lumped in with All-Stars Markkanen and JJJ for a reason here. All three players started in Orlando and in Miami this past week. All three combined to play zero fourth-quarter minutes. In both games. All three clocked in at 25 minutes in the first three quarters and then sat in the fourth quarters of both games. In Orlando, the tanking worked like a charm. The Jazz gave up a 33-23 quarter to the Magic and lost the game by three. It did not work Monday night against the Heat. Utah accidentally won that game 115-111. When Jazz coach Will Hardy was asked after the Heat win whether he considered putting Markkanen or Jackson back in the game in the fourth, he answered simply: “No.”
Jazz center Jusuf Nurkic, in fact, believes that Markkanen deserves more recognition from the NBA, with the Bosnian big man lobbying for his teammate to make it to the All-Star Game. “Adam Silver do the right thing!! #AllStar,” Nurkic wrote on his official account on X (formerly Twitter).
