As free agents slowly but surely come off of the proverbial free agent board, with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope signing with the Orlando Magic, and Andre Drummond landing with the Philadelphia 76ers alongside Eric Gordon and (potentially) Paul George, the most interesting player who could end up a new team come July may not even be a free agent at all: Lauri Markkanen.
Discussing a player long considered untouchable in Utah on ESPN in the lead-up to the June 30th market opening, Senior Insider Adrian Wojnarowski revealed that while Dany Ainge isn't willing to just give the Finnish 7-footer away, he will listen to offers and may even trade him away if the price is right.
“Lauri Markkanen in Utah, especially when Mikal Bridges off the board in Brooklyn, went to the Knicks. Markkanen is another player on a team where teams are trying to get a sense of what direction the Jazz might want to go. The Jazz wanted to add players with Markkanen, they were a team that was in on Mikal Bridges, New York ultimately outbid them,” Adrian Wojnarowski explained on ESPN.
“But listen, I think in a perfect world, Utah wants to keep Lauri Markkanen; they can sign him to an extension later this summer, but teams are being aggressive in this marketplace. He's been significant. Look, he's had a renaissance in his career with Will Hardy in Utah, and listen, I think it would take a great, great deal to pry him out of there, but Utah's gotta listen, and I don't think there's a shortage of team who want to see just what it might take to get Markkanen out of Utah.”
Could Markkanen remain in Utah this fall? Sure, that's mostly likely the case, but after being a hard no for months, this opening does present a unique opportunity for teams with money and picks to make a massive swing, especially if they have the infrastructure in place to create something special with All-Star forward on an under market-level contract, including a Western Conference frontrunner and an Eastern Conference team with the most optionality on the Eastern Seaboard.
These two teams are perfect fits for Lauri Markkanen.
2. The Philadelphia 76ers
As things presently stand – which could change at any moment – the 76ers have given out roughly $5 million of their current cap space, leaving the team with enough money to sign Paul George to the max and still fill out the roster with players on minimum contract and with their exceptions.
And yet, through it all, the team can still be in on Markkanen if they so chose, as, with a contract only worth $18 million this fall, the team could simply send 2023 Jazz target Paul George to Utah alongside every pick they have left in the pursuit of a major upgrade at the four spot.
Is that the right call for the Sixers? In this writer's opinion, probably not, as Cam Johnson could be had for a lot less and fill a similar role this fall, but this isn't a “best ways to build the Sixers” story, it's about the best fits for Markkanen and Philadelphia is unquestionably on that list because the two sides simply fit together like a glove.
After spending the last half-decade with Tobias Harris attempting to be a three-level scorer who can hold up on D and get shots for himself and his teammates, Markkanen could slot into the very same role and really shine as a do-it-all four-man in the starting five and even a small-ball five when Embiid is off the court in the playoffs, making him the sort of player worth mortgaging the future for, especially if Daryl Morey can lock him up long-term.
What are the chances of it happening? 5/10. The fit? 10/10 all day.
1. The Oklahoma City Thunder
For the 76ers, pushing all of the chips into the center of the table for Markkanen is a scary proposition, as the team would have no assets to improve should something go very wrong.
For the OKC Thunder, that is not an issue, as Sami Presti could offer the same deal New York sent across the Manhattan Bridge to Brooklyn and still have one of the deepest war chests in the NBA down a half-dozen first-round picks.
You see, earlier this year, the Thunder knew they needed to upgrade their size and rebounding heading into the playoffs but didn't want to lose the spacing or position versatility that made the team so darn compelling during the regular season.
At the time, Presti addressed the situation by trading for Gordon Hayward, who is a veteran pro with plenty of playoff experience, but alas, it didn't work out as well as some fans would have hoped, as the former Charlotte Hornet struggled mightily, and ultimately fell out of the rotation entirely.
In Markkanen, the Thunder could get exactly what they hoped for in Gordon but with the added bonus of adding another 7-footer to their starting lineup, maintaining a five-out offense with an elite stretch-four next to Chet Holmgren at the five.
Will it happen? Only time will tell, but OKC can offer more than any other team in the NBA, and of all the players they could target across the Association, few are as seamless a fit as Markkanen, both now and heading into the future.
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