Memphis Grizzlies vs Utah Jazz: preview and player stats

Pippen (back) remains out for Wednesday's game against Denver, Michael Wallace of the Grizzlies' official site reports. With Pippen set to miss another game, Memphis will continue to operate without one of its backcourt reserves. He has now been sidelined for six straight contests due to the back issue and can be considered week-to-week until Memphis offers an update on his recovery. Cam Spencer remains worth streaming in most fantasy leagues.

Post (concussion) has been ruled out for Wednesday's game against the Nuggets. Post suffered a concussion during Monday's 118-102 win over the Raptors, and now he will have to clear a series of steps before he's allowed to return to the court. Taylor Hendricks will help pick up the slack while Post is sidelined.

Saunders signed a two-way contract with the Grizzlies on Saturday, Shams Charania of ESPN reports. Saunders is still on the mend from a torn right ACL that he suffered during his final year at BYU. However, he has been cleared for on-court activities and will be allowed to practice with the Grizzlies now that he's officially signed with the team.

Markkanen has been diagnosed with a non-displaced fracture in his right hand and will be sidelined for at least one month, Shams Charania of ESPN reports. Markkanen has missed two straight games due to what was being described as a right wrist sprain, but it appears the issue was much worse than initially thought. The talented big man now joins Jusuf Nurkic (foot) and Jaren Jackson (knee) on Utah's long-term injury list, while Keyonte George's status moving forward is unclear while dealing with an ankle sprain. Given all of the injuries, Ace Bailey and Darryn Peterson will have to lead the offense, while Isaiah Collier, Brice Sensabaugh, Svi Mykhailiuk, Josh Okogie and Josh Green are candidates for increased roles.

Jackson has been diagnosed with a torn MCL in his right knee and will be sidelined for 6-to-8 weeks, per Shams Charania of ESPN. Jackson sustained the injury early in Monday's loss to Memphis, and he's now expected to miss at least a month and a half of action. The star big man's absence creates a major void in the Utah lineup, one that is likely to be filled by a timeshare of Jaxson Hayes (shoulder), Kyle Filipowski and Mo Bamba. The Jazz could also shift Lauri Markkanen (wrist), when healthy, to the center spot at times, perhaps allowing Ace Bailey to spend more time at power forward.

Nurkic (toe) has begun participating in on-court activities as he continues recovering from a right foot injury sustained during an Oct. 4 preseason game against Denver. He will be re-evaluated in two weeks, the Jazz announced Friday. Nurkic is progressing in his recovery, but the two-week re-evaluation timeline indicates he remains some distance from returning to game action. His absence should continue to create opportunities in Utah's frontcourt, with Jaxson Hayes and Mo Bamba among the players positioned to benefit from additional playing time. Nurkic's next evaluation will provide a clearer picture of his potential return date.