Utah Jazz vs Chicago Bulls: preview and player stats

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.

Powell (shoulder) won't play in Wednesday's game against the Spurs,Joel Lorenzi of The Athletic reports. Powell will miss his second consecutive contest due to a shoulder injury. Head coach Tiago Spltter stated that the 33-year-old veteran is "probably at 70 percent," so there's a chance he won't play Friday against Atlanta. In the meantime, Isaac Okoro is expected to stay in the starting lineup, with significant usage bumps going to Josh Giddey and Caleb Wilson (hip), assuming the latter is cleared to play.

Wilson won't return to Wednesday's game against the Spurs due to a right hand injury. He'll finish with 15 points (5-7 FG, 2-2 3Pt, 3-3 FT), five rebounds and one steal in 15 minutes. Wilson turned in an efficient performance en route to 15 points before exiting Wednesday's contest early in the third quarter. The rookie forward's status will be worth monitoring ahead of Friday's game against Atlanta. If he's forced to miss time, Leonard Miller, Patrick Williams and Noa Essengue would be candidates for increased minutes.

Awaka (back) has been ruled out for Wednesday's game against the Spurs. Awaka will be held out of Wednesday's contest due to lower-back tightness. However, his absence shouldn't cause any significant waves in the rotation.

Swain (back) is out for Wednesday's game against the Spurs. Swain will spend another game on the inactive list, and his next chance to play will come Friday against the Hawks. Swain is not a regular part of the Bulls' rotation.