Utah Jazz forward Jaren Jackson Jr. has officially undergone surgery to address the localized pigmented villonodular synovitis (PVNS) growth in his left knee.
Jackson was traded to the Jazz prior to the trade deadline, with Utah sending Walter Clayton Jr., Kyle Anderson, Taylor Hendricks, Georges Niang and three future first-round picks in the deal.
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The Jazz also received Jock Landale, John Konchar and Vince Williams Jr. in the trade.
However, after playing just three games for the Jazz, Jackson was sidelined due to a growth in his knee. He didn’t play in Utah’s game against the Portland Trail Blazers before the All-Star break. The team then announced that he would undergo surgery.
With Jackson’s surgery successful, the next step for him is to focus on his recovery. However, what’s interesting to note is that the Jazz didn’t rule him out for the rest of the season. Instead, the team revealed that he will be “re-evaluated in four weeks to determine his recovery status.”
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Utah Jazz forward Jaren Jackson Jr. (20) tries to make a play.Peter Creveling-Imagn Images
(Peter Creveling-Imagn Images)
When news of Jackson’s injury surfaced, reports indicated that the issue was season-ending. ESPN’s Tim MacMahon cited sources saying that he “will miss the remainder of the season” and that “he is expected to be cleared well in advance of training camp.”
Chris Haynes of NBA on Prime corroborated the report, saying that Jackson is “likely to miss the remainder of the season to undergo surgery on his left knee to ensure his longterm health after a localized PVNS growth was discovered post trade, league sources tell me.”
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It remains to be seen if Jackson will actually be able to return this season, but Utah’s update certainly leaves the door open to that possibility.
Of course, the team can still rule him out after re-evaluating him in a month’s time.
There is no rush for Utah to bring back Jackson, though. After all, the team appears to be tanking and is more focused on getting a higher lottery pick as it continues its rebuild.
The Jazz entered the All-Star break with an 18-38 record, placing them at No. 13 in the Western Conference standings. They have only won three of their last 10 games.
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If the Jazz want to keep losing, keeping Jackson sidelined might be their best course of action. In the three games that he played in for Utah, the team went 2-1. The former Defensive Player of the Year also averaged 22.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 2.0 steals in that span.
Related: Warriors’ Giannis Antetokounmpo Chase Affected Trade Talks With Grizzlies: Report
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Feb 18, 2026, where it first appeared in the NBA section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.