The NBA and the Utah Jazz have been in a standoff in recent weeks. As the league looks to crack down on poorly performing teams intentionally resting their top players to improve draft position, it has recently handed out fines to the Jazz and Indiana Pacers for their involvement in such actions.
The Jazz have been under fire for tanking after ruling out multiple players for the season, including new acquisition Jaren Jackson Jr. So, when reports surfaced that former All-Star Lauri Markkanen would be undergoing an MRI on his ankles and knees, many fans suspected it would be a precursor to another Jazz star being ruled out.
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These suspicions were legitimized after veteran NBA reporter Tony Jones revealed that the NBA was sending an independent doctor to verify the results of Markkanen’s tests. This was widely reported and aggregated on Thursday, but was refuted by reporters Andy Larsen and Chris Mannix on Friday.
Jones promptly deleted his initial report and has now issued an apology.
Markkanen has been ruled out for Thursday night’s game against the New Orleans Pelicans. He’s also listed with an undisclosed illness, so the 28-year-old Finnish star has plenty of hurdles to jump through before returning to the court.
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Utah Jazz forward/center Lauri Markkanen (23) dribbles against the Indiana Pacers.Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images
(Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images)
The Jazz are 18-40 this season, six games ahead of the bottom-ranked Sacramento Kings in the Western Conference. They have the best odds for the No. 6 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, a placement many believe the team is looking to improve. If Utah’s pick falls outside the top eight, it’ll convey to the OKC Thunder, so the team is focused on ensuring they keep their pick.
Markkanen is averaging 26.7 points, 6.9 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 42 games this season. He’s been highly productive and is capable of being a unilateral game-changer when on the court. However, that might be why his skills don’t serve the needs of Utah right now, as the franchise can’t afford to lose its first-round pick to the reigning NBA champions.
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It would’ve been out of the norm for the NBA to pay such specific attention to an injury report, but given the league’s desire to crack down on tanking, many easily believed Jones’ story.
While the NBA won’t be paying any undue attention to Markkanen and the Jazz, they definitely will be waiting to see what the outcome of this MRI is and how it impacts player participation going forward.
The Jazz host the Pelicans at 9 p.m. ET Thursday.
Related: NBA’s Jazz Decision Amid Tanking Concerns Revealed
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Feb 26, 2026, where it first appeared in the NBA section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.