The Utah Jazz's injury issues turned from bad to worse on Wednesday, when the news broke announcing that Lauri Markkanen would be sidelined for at least four weeks as he recovers from a fractured right hand.

Utah Jazz star Lauri Markkanen has sustained a non-displaced fracture in his right hand and will be sidelined for at least one month, sources tell me and @BannedMacMahon. pic.twitter.com/UcXV8E9H4y

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) November 11, 2026

The injury now leaves the Jazz without four of their five regular starters in the rotation until further notice: that's Markkanen, Keyonte George (ankle), Jaren Jackson Jr. (knee), and Jusuf Nurkic (foot), all forced to the sidelines to leave Utah looking severely depleted compared to their typical game plan.

So what can we expect from the Jazz's starting lineup for the time that they're stuck without Markkanen and the rest of the starters? Who might be the best first five for Utah to put onto the floor on a nightly basis until they're back closer to full health?

Let's break down a projection of what the Jazz's new starting five might look like now that 80% of their starting lineup is stuck with multiple-game injuries:

PG: Darryn Peterson

Here's your big moment, Darryn Peterson.

Now that the Jazz are without three of their top scorers in the rotation until further notice, the spotlight immediately turns to Utah's No. 2 pick from this summer to step up to the occasion and showcase why he was touted as one of the more polished and talented prospects coming out of this draft class.

Peterson will also take ahold of the Jazz's starting point guard duties for the extent that George is out with his ankle sprain. In his first game without George against the Miami Heat, he put up a near-season-high 25 points with four rebounds and four assists.

SG: Josh Okogie

The Jazz decided to elevate Josh Okogie in their latest game against the Miami Heat in place of Keyonte George in an effort to provide some extra perimeter defense and some hopeful floor spacing ability while Utah saw a large chunk of their scoring upside vanish.

And there's a pretty good chance that the Jazz continue to take this plan of attack within their backcourt for as long as George is sidelined. Meanwhile, Isaiah Collier can continue to run the second unit as the backup point guard, and potentially close out games with Darryn Peterson to provide some playmaking and a presence at the rim.

But to start games out, bringing out Okogie and hoping to emphasize that effort on the defensive end might be the best course of action for Will Hardy to go while severely limited in terms of personnel.

SF: Josh Green

The Jazz haven't been shy about throwing Green into the starting five for any time that Lauri Markkanen is forced to miss time this season.

And the logic for Green's spot feels pretty similar to that of Okogie's placement in the starting five: someone who can defend on the perimeter and space the floor effectively, while others around the lineup like Peterson or Ace Bailey take ahold of the primary scoring duties.

If his shooting splits continue to look as bleak as they have to start the season out, maybe the Jazz and Hardy decide to make a change on the wing. But for now, starting the veteran, three-and-D threat feels like the most likely approach to take.

PF: Ace Bailey

This, like Darryn Peterson, is the easiest decision the Jazz can make in their starting five. And Ace Bailey's presence within the starting five immediately becomes way more important knowing how injured Utah's typical rotation is.

Bailey is a cornerstone piece of the Jazz's rebuild. He has been looking for more opportunities to get involved on both sides of the ball, and now, the time has come for him to really be a focal point of Utah's game plan on a nightly basis until this frontcourt is able to get their pair of All-Star talents back.

The first game in which the Jazz were forced to play without four of their five regular starters, it resulted in Bailey finding his way to 23 points on 66.7% from the field. Expect more and more nights like that while Utah is stuck without their key contributors.

C: Jaxson Hayes

Hayes has been able to hold down the Jazz's starting center spot since the start of the season when it was first discovered that Jusuf Nurkic would be sidelined for multiple weeks due to a preseason foot injury.

And really, Hayes has performed quite well over the time that he's seen an expanded role within the frontcourt. He's been a plus-level finisher at the rim both as a cutter and a lob threat and has averaged nearly six rebounds a game, being a serviceable big man option to lean on within the rotation.

Now that Markkanen is out, and his minimal center minutes will no longer be an option, Hayes' responsibilities only grow larger––at least until Nurkic is finally back from his lengthy injury absence..