The Utah Jazz announced Thursday that new trade acquisition Jaren Jackson Jr. will undergo surgery on his left knee during the league’s All-Star break.
The Jazz say doctors discovered a pigmented villonodular synovitis (PVNS) in Jackson’s knee during an MRI scan as a routine part of his post-trade physical. The tumor can cause the knee’s joint lining to grow, which can then create problems for knee movement unless removed. It is a non-cancerous tumor.
Jackson Jr. was acquired in a trade last Tuesday from the Memphis Grizzlies. The 26-year-old big man played in three games for the Jazz, averaging 22.3 points in just 24 minutes per game, which the Jazz say was limited due to the discovery of the PVNS. The Jazz won two of the three games in which Jackson Jr. played.
The team declined to give a timeline on Jackson Jr.’s recovery, instead preferring to wait until the surgery is completed for that announcement. That being said, Amazon Prime NBA reporter Chris Haynes tweeted that the 7-footer is likely to miss the remainder of the season.
