Recently, Utah Jazz forward Lauri Marakkenen put the rampant trade rumors surrounding himself to bed by signing a new lucrative contract extension with the franchise that will keep him there for the long term future. Markkanen's career has blossomed since being traded to the Jazz from the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2022, and other teams like the Golden State Warriors who were hoping to acquire his services ran out of luck when the extension was announced.
Utah is of course known for its beautiful scenery and great (summertime) weather, and recently, Markkanen showed the appreciation he has for those things by posting a picture of himself on X, formerly Twitter, holding a fish he had just caught in a river.
https://x.com/MarkkanenLauri/status/1827761323566112879
Markkanen donned a Utah shirt as well, further cementing his loyalty to the franchise where he has turned himself into one of the elite wings in the NBA.
At this time a year ago, Markkanen was overseas partaking in his mandatory military service for his native country of Finland, but it seems that now with that obligation out of the way, the big man is taking things a bit more easygoing after signing the contract extension.
What does the future hold for the Jazz?
At the current juncture, there's not necessarily a clear path forward into contention for the Jazz, as the team still figures to be firmly below the playoff line in the juggernaut that is the Western Conference.
Still, the team boasts a treasure trove of draft picks for the near future and has one of the league's best executives in Danny Ainge partially at the controls.
For his part, Lauri Markkanen boasts a unique combination of size, athleticism, and shooting touch that make him a nightmare matchup for opposing defenses on a nightly basis. While he may not be the most versatile defender or quickest player from the small forward position, Markkanen uses his size and strength to still be a contributor on that end of the floor as well.
The Jazz still have a talented array of scorers around their talented small forward, including Colin Sexton running the point guard position and Jordan Clarkson, who remains one of the most electric microwave scorers in the league.
In any case, the Jazz are slated to get things underway on October 23 at home vs the Memphis Grizzlies in what will be the first game of the NBA season.
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