Jaren Jackson Jr. Undergoes Surgery, Latest Timeline for Injury Recovery for Jazz Star After Trade

The Utah Jazz reportedly will be without their prized trade deadline acquisition for the remainder of the season.

NBA insider Chris Haynes reported on Thursday that Jazz center Jaren Jackson Jr., who was acquired from the Memphis Grizzlies just a week ago, will miss the rest of the 2025-26 campaign to undergo surgery on his left knee "to ensure his long-term health after a localized PVNS growth was discovered."

Jackson was sent to Utah as part of an eight-player trade that also included three first-round picks being sent back to Memphis. He scored 22 points in a loss to the Orlando Magic in his team debut on Saturday, and he dropped 23 points in his first game in front of Jazz fans in Wednesday's win over the Sacramento Kings.

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In total, Jackson played 48 games this season and averaged 19.4 points, 5.7 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.4 blocks. It's his first year averaging under 20 points since 2022-23. He missed the start of the season after undergoing surgery over the summer to address his turf toe injury.

At 18-37, the Jazz are among the teams in the running for the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA draft. Only the Kings (12-44), Washington Wizards (14-39), New Orleans Pelicans (15-41), Indiana Pacers (15-40) and Brooklyn Nets (15-38) have fewer wins this season.

Shutting down Jackson for the rest of the season is a sign that Utah is more focused on preparing for the future than trying to turn things around down the stretch this year. The Jazz have a young core led by promising talents Lauri Markkanen, Keyonte George and Ace Bailey, so adding another blue-chip prospect to the mix would improve their chances of completing their rebuild next season.

Utah will play its final game before the All-Star break on Thursday night against the Portland Trail Blazers (26-29).