Report: “Wishful Thinking”: Executives View Jazz Trading Lauri Markkanen
The Utah Jazz All-Star forward doesn’t appear to be moving after all.
Though All-Star Lauri Markkanen has been linked to a few trade speculations in recent weeks, it appears that discussions about a possible move involving Markkanen are coming to an end.
With numerous teams vying for his services as the NBA trade deadline in February approaches, the former All-Star has continued to be a guy to watch. The league is abuzz with intrigue, but it appears the Jazz have not been amenable.
According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, several factors have now led to the overwhelming opinion that Markkanen will stay put in Utah:
It’s not surprising that opposing GMs are coveting the services of Markkanen considering what he could provide as a potential addition. Through 21 games this season, he’s averaged 24.0 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 1.5 assists on extremely efficient splits (50.0/39.1/85.4).
However, it looks like the more likely scenario is Markkanen soon re-upping on an extension to stay in Salt Lake City long-term. Lauri is currently sitting on a $35.3 million deal spanning until the summer of 2025. Odds are that he’ll renegotiate that contract and add a few more years to earn him that deserved pay raise.
It was a longshot in the first place for Markkanen to end up anywhere else. Earlier reports detailed that it would take a Gobert-like offer to pry him away from Danny Ainge, and that type of package seems a bit out of reach. It’s extremely difficult to seek out a team willing to part ways with that amount of assets, especially in the middle of the regular season.
The vision now moves towards locking Lauri up for the foreseeable future, also surrounding him with a solid supporting cast to keep building upon this promising foundation in Utah.
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