Lauri Markkanen has been linked to multiple teams via NBA trade rumors, but it’s unclear whether the Utah Jazz are willing to part ways with the 28-year-old.
Utah Jazz Could Retain Lauri Markkanen
Per NBA insider Marc Stein of The Stein Line, rival teams are expecting Utah to build around Markkanen for the foreseeable future. The Finnish star is currently in his fourth campaign with the Jazz.
“Difficult as it can be for rival teams to read the intentions of a front office that now houses Austin Ainge as well as Danny Ainge, more teams than not that we speak to are increasingly convinced that the Jazz are more likely to try to add to their Markkanen-led core this Trade Season rather than trade Markkanen away,” Stein wrote.
The Jazz acquired Markkanen in the 2022 trade that sent All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Markkanen was the No. 7 overall pick in the 2017 NBA draft out of the University of Arizona.
Markkanen spent his first four seasons with the Chicago Bulls and one with the Cavs before getting dealt to Utah. He was named the 2022-23 NBA Most Improved Player after averaging a career-high 25.6 points with the Jazz.
In 47 games (all starts) last season, Markkanen averaged 19 points, 5.9 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 31.4 minutes per contest while shooting 42.3% from the field and 34.6% from 3-point territory.
He missed nearly half the season due primarily to a lower back injury.
Markkanen Averaging Career-High Numbers
Through 19 games (all starts) this season, Markkanen is averaging career highs of 27.9 points, 2.2 assists, and 35.5 minutes per outing with a shooting line of 46.6/35.5/90.6.
Last August, the Jazz offered Markkanen a four-year, $195.86 million renegotiation and extension, allowing him to sign the deal to make him ineligible for trade before last season’s deadline.
Per Spotrac, Markkanen is earning $46.39 million this campaign and is slated to make as much as $53.53 million in the 2028-29 season, the final year of his deal.
The Jazz hold a 6-13 (.316) record to start this year and rank 11th in the Western Conference standings. The frontcourt pairing of Markkanen and Walker Kessler seemed promising.
However, the team announced early last month that Kessler would undergo season-ending surgery to repair a left shoulder labral tear. Kessler had started the first five games of the season.
Trading for another big would benefit the Jazz’s Markkanen-led core.
