The Cleveland Cavaliers recently lost a key player in Lauri Markkanen to an injury.
While the organization itself doesn’t have a timeline for his absence, a new report indicates that Markkanen will be sidelined for at least a “couple weeks.”
“Lauri Markkanen is sidelined indefinitely because of a sprained ankle suffered during Saturday’s win against Oklahoma City,” wrote Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. “Markkanen walked out of the arena Monday night on crutches and in a walking boot. The Cavs don’t have a specific — or general — timeline for his absence. They first want to see how the swelling subsides over the next few days. But multiple sources estimated it will be a couple weeks minimum.”
Markkanen was acquired by the Cavaliers in August of 2021. The Cavs parted with the beloved Larry Nance Jr. to pick up the Finnish forward.
In his first campaign with the Cavaliers, the 24-year-old is putting up 13.6 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game. He’s started in all 38 games that he’s played in.
The Cavs have used Markkanen in a massive starting lineup that also features Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen.
While the Cavs’ approach has been unusual, they have seen success. The team is the No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference right now. The Cavs have broken virtually all expectations and proved many doubters wrong.
In fact, Cavs president of basketball operations Koby Altman recently chatted with Bobby Marks over ESPN’s disrespectful, dead-last future ranking of the franchise.
Now, the Cavs appear to have one of the brightest futures in the league. The organization’s young, burgeoning nucleus is stealing headlines. Darius Garland and Allen might end up being All-Stars, and Mobley is in the Rookie of the Year mix.
Furthermore, Cavs head coach J.B. Bickerstaff is one of the key candidates in the Coach of the Year running this year. The organization rewarded Bickerstaff with an extension earlier this season.
