Lauri Markkanen has been the subject of numerous trade rumors already this season. A trade is seemingly becoming more realistic as the Utah Jazz, who hold a 9-17 record as of this story's writing, continue to struggle.
Markkanen recently broke his silence on the trade rumors via a conversation with Sam Amick of The Athletic. The Jazz's star still believes in Utah and doesn't seem to want a trade. Markkanen said he has not “talked to anyone” about the trade rumors in the organization, but has seen “stuff online” about the reports.
He later shared an in-depth response on the trade rumors.
“Yeah. And I’ve been traded, I guess, technically three times with draft night included,” Markkanen said. “Sometimes I knew about it. Sometimes I didn’t. So I kind of learned the business side of basketball. I’ve kind of learned to just go day by day and really put the work in and try to play to the best of my abilities and whatever happens happens, really.
“Like I said, I love being in Utah and it’s a compliment of what you’ve done in the past (that teams have interest). We’ll see. But yeah, I just want to emphasize that I really believe in what we’re building here with the Jazz. Go day by day. Do your best. That’s all you can do.”
Will the Jazz trade Lauri Markkanen?
The Jazz are rebuilding, like Markkanen said. However, he is confident that Utah can build a winning roster within the next few years.
The question is whether or not trading Markkanen will factor into Utah's rebuilding plans. If traded, Markkanen would net an impressive haul in return. He's still only 26-years old and is under contract through the 2024-25 season.
Markkanen previously displayed signs of potential with the Chicago Bulls and Cleveland Cavaliers. Since joining the Jazz, however, he's emerged as a true star. Markkanen made the All-Star team in 2022-23 and is currently averaging 23.4 points per game on 48.9 percent field goal and 39 percent three-point shooting to go along with 8.4 rebounds per contest in 2023-24.
The entire landscape of a conference would see a dramatic shift if Lauri Markkanen is traded this season.
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