As the Utah Jazz enter their Wednesday night matchup against the Chicago Bulls, the team downgraded its star shooter, Lauri Markkanen.
According to the official NBA injury report, Markkanen is dealing with an illness. Therefore, he is listed as questionable for the matchup.
Markkanen recently missed action for the Jazz. On January 10, Utah hosted the Charlotte Hornets. Markkanen missed the matchup and watched his team get destroyed with a score of 150-95. In the following game, the star sharpshooter returned to the floor to take on the Cleveland Cavaliers.
During a 36-minute showing, Markkanen shot 8-16 from the field, and went 9-12 from the charity stripe. He wrapped up the game with 28 points and 12 rebounds. The Jazz stunned the Cavs with a 123-112 victory.
Once again, Markkanen has been viewed as a potential trade candidate out of Utah this year. Considering the Jazz still find themselves outside of the playoff picture, Markkanen holds a lot of value to a contending team.
However, Utah is proving they can take the next step very soon. Therefore, they want to continue building a strong young core around Markkanen.
Heading into Wednesday’s action against the Bulls, the Jazz are sitting 13th in the Western Conference with a 14-25 record. Only the Sacramento Kings (10-30) and the New Orleans Pelicans (9-33) trail them.
The Jazz could find themselves in a tough spot if Markkanen can’t get cleared to play. This year, his production has taken a notable jump, as he’s averaging 27.9 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game. Markkanen is shooting 36 percent from three and 48 percent from the field.
The Jazz and the Bulls are slated for an 8 PM ET tip on Wednesday.
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