The most appealing trade candidate in the NBA is currently Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen. With so many big names gone in the free agency pool, the 27-year-old sharpshooter is perhaps the best potentially available player on either the trade market or in free agency.
The Jazz are in a rebuild, adding several young players to their roster again as Markkanen continues to age into his prime years. To make sure he isn’t lost to another team for nothing next summer, Utah will either have to extend Markkanen's contract, which expires after this season, or trade him. Given his immense value (he's making just over $18 million next season) and age, the latter option appears to make more sense, especially with so many suitors lining up.
According to Tony Jones of The Athletic, the Golden State Warriors, San Antonio Spurs and Sacramento Kings have “substantial” offers for Markkanen. Each of those teams has been linked to a pursuit of the Finnish star previously, but Jones points them out as the teams making the biggest efforts.
Jones wrote that Markkanen “is a star. The NBA knows this. That’s why half the league is standing in line hoping the Jazz decide to trade him. Out of that number, several reports have teams such as the Golden State Warriors, San Antonio Spurs and Sacramento Kings ramping up interest and preparing offers for the Jazz to mull. The Jazz know this as well, which is why they are hesitant to trade Markkanen, even amid a rebuild that still appears to be in its infancy.”
Lauri Markkanen receiving massive trade interest
After years of being merely a solid player, Markkanen has become a bona fide star in his two seasons with the Jazz, averaging 24.5 points, 8.4 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game while shooting 49.0 percent from the field and 39.5 percent from deep. As a top option, he drew way more fouls and scored more efficiently than ever before, posting true shooting percentages above 63 percent for the first time in his career.
The Jazz may be approaching decision time with Markkanen soon, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they have to trade him. They can keep him around as a top option in case a star player elsewhere asks out and Utah can trade for him. It would also be nice to support the rookies and second-year players with a floor spacer who can carry the workload on offense. However, if another team goes over the top with a trade offer, it may be best to just add more assets for a rebuild that is still barely getting off the ground.
Markkanen would be a massive coup for the Warriors, who just lost Klay Thompson to the Dallas Mavericks and have struggled for years to put a reliable second option behind Stephen Curry. Golden State has some interesting young players to dangle in Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moodey and Brandin Podziemski, though Kuminga might not be on the table. Trying to offload Andrew Wiggins in a trade could also be an option.
The Spurs aren’t super eager to put a great team around Victor Wembanyama just yet — they may want to stay in the lottery one more time for the chance to land another great prospect like Cooper Flagg. But once San Antonio is ready to start winning again, the front office has picks and young players to offer in exchange for the Jazz star.
The Kings adding Markkanen alongside De'Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis would give them another incredible shooter to utilize in their powerful offense. If they’re somehow able to keep Keegan Murray, it would give them a great core four to build around. Harrison Barnes and Kevin Huerter have been dangled in trades for a while and could be options here, in addition to draft capital.
Markkanen is far from the only solid player available for trade. The Brooklyn Nets are likely to trade their own sharpshooter, Cam Johnson, plus 3-and-D wing Dorian Finney-Smith as they begin rebuilding. The Washington Wizards could look to dangle Kyle Kuzma, Jordan Poole and Corey Kispert. The Chicago Bulls haven’t had much luck finding a suitor for Zach LaVine, but he has a star pedigree that could make him an intriguing buy-low option.
The Jazz don’t exactly need any more additional draft picks, even if it’s always beneficial to add as many as possible. They have all of their own picks going forward plus extra unprotected first-rounders and swap rights from the Cleveland Cavaliers and Minnesota Timberwolves. Even though they’re without some of their second-rounders, they have plenty of draft capital to swing more trades and add more young talent.
Whatever happens (or doesn’t happen) with Lauri Markkanen will have massive ramifications on the rest of the NBA landscape.
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