Will Hardy, Jazz players visit Lauri Markkanen in Finland

SALT LAKE CITY — Utah Jazz head coach Will Hardy was joined by Keyonte George and Jaren Jackson Jr. on a trip to Helsinki, the capital of Finland, this week.

The group arrives in Lauri Markkanen's home country one week before the World Cup qualifying window, where Markkanen is expected to play in two games against Sweden and Estonia.

Including a friendly match against Iceland in Espoo on Friday, Markkanen will play two international games in Finland over the next ten days.

Will Hardy, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Keyonte George are all in Finland right visiting Lauri Markkanen! 🇫🇮 pic.twitter.com/nT9yFcH1UN

— Chandler Holt (@CHoltSports) August 18, 2026

On the Utah Jazz broadcast in a game against the Houston Rockets on Feb. 23, sideline reporter Lauren Green teased a team trip to Finland during this offseason.

It is the second trip to Northern Europe for Jazz guard Keyonte George. Last offseason, he joined Markkanen for some training in July.

On the respective social media accounts of the three team members, they took pictures walking around the city and stopping to buy clothes and candy.

More pictures from Finland. https://t.co/lj1ImculLXpic.twitter.com/dPTddrDaby

— Chandler Holt (@CHoltSports) August 18, 2026

According to the Basketball Finland website, Markkanen and the Finnish national team are training at the Susi Training Center at Kisakallio in Lohja, located about 30 miles from Helsinki.

Lauri Markkanen Spends Summer In Finland

Not long after the Utah Jazz's 2025-26 season ended in mid-April, Markkanen headed back home for more hoops.

His first game came on July 3 against Hungary. Finland won 85-77 behind a 23-point, four-rebound and two-assist performance from the Jazz All-Star.

On July 6, France handed Finland a 98-69 loss. Markkanen led the team with 14 points.

Lauri Markkanen and Finland will play in two World Cup qualifiers next week. pic.twitter.com/3AH1A1y6Qr

— Chandler Holt (@CHoltSports) August 18, 2026

Finland currently holds the second spot in Group L with a 4-2 record. France leads the group at 5-1. Estonia, Sweden, Slovenia, and Hungary are all tied for third at 3-3.

The top three teams from each group will qualify for the 2027 FIBA World Cup in Qatar.

With Markkanen, Finland is favored in each of the upcoming matchups. Winning both would put them in a favorable spot for the November and February windows that take place during the 2026-27 NBA regular season.

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