Klay Thompson is no longer a member of the Golden State Warriors. Did you ever think that sentence would be true? After 13 years with the Warriors, Thompson has departed in free agency, opening the door for general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. and the entire Golden State front office to be aggressive in the final years Stephen Curry and Draymond Green have in the NBA. As free agency continues and the trade market heats up, Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen has suddenly become a key topic of discussion.
More specifically, Markkanen has become a focal point in trade talks for the Warriors.
It truly seems like this is the first time since 2016 that the Warriors have actively been seeking talent in the offseason and operating with a sense of financial flexibility. After being one of the highest-tax teams over the years, owner Joe Lacob and the Warriors worked to get below the first tax apron with the departures of Thompson and veteran point guard Chris Paul. The last two years in San Francisco have been about finding ways to decrease their payroll, and Dunleavy has been able to accomplish this so far this offseason.
Now, the key question the Warriors face revolves around how much belief they have in themselves to still contend for a fifth championship since 2015. Curry and Green are still playing at high levels, and Thompson has already been replaced by experienced secondary players like De'Anthony Melton and Kyle Anderson. Better yet, the Dubs are on the verge of securing a sign-and-trade with the Philadelphia 76ers to add sharpshooter Buddy Hield, who ranks second in the league behind only Curry for the most threes made since he entered the league in 2016.
Assuming this deal goes through, we might as well start calling the Curry-Hield duo the Splash Buddies, right?
I know Warriors fans… It's probably too soon to start these kinds of jokes in the wake of Thompson's departure. As good as the additions of Melton, Anderson, and presumably Hield can be for the Warriors, there is still a path to this organization being able to add another cornerstone and potentially a player they can invest in for the foreseeable future.
This is where Markkanen enters the fold. The Jazz, who were expected to be aggressive in their pursuit of more talent and win-now pieces this offseason, have been surprisingly quiet to begin the summer. Although Utah was busy during the 2024 NBA Draft, adding the likes of Cody Williams, Isaiah Collier, and Kyle Filipowski, Danny Ainge and his Jazz front office have yet to add any firepower to their roster in free agency. The team is not actively looking to move on from Markkanen, but Ainge is always willing to hear offers that come his way.
As a result, Markkanen is available for the right price, one that is set very high after the Brooklyn Nets received five first-round picks, a pick swap, and future second-round compensation for Mikal Bridges. There is a path presenting itself to the Warriors where they can make a real run at Markkanen. In fact, there are quite a few options Golden State has in terms of pursuing the Finnish forward.
Despite failing to acquire nine-time All-Star Paul George in a trade with the Los Angeles Clippers before free agency began, the Warriors can still go all-in on Markkanen in order to keep their championship aspirations alive.
Here are some of the scenarios Golden State has in the midst of free agency.
Warriors sacrifice Jonathan Kuminga to go all-in
Utah Jazz receive: F Jonathan Kuminga, G/F Moses Moody, G/F Gary Payton II, GSW 2025 first-round pick (unprotected), GSW 2028 first-round pick (unprotected, two first-round pick swaps (2027, 2029)
Golden State Warriors receive: F Lauri Markkanen, C Walker Kessler
When the Warriors were pursuing Paul George, they did not want to part ways with Jonathan Kuminga. The Clippers wanted Kuminga, but it was the Dubs that were unwilling to bring his name up in those trade conversations, league sources told ClutchPoints. Although George may be a better player than Markkanen, perhaps that mindset of giving up Kuminga would change since the Finnish forward would essentially replace his spot alongside Green.
The thing about Kuminga that the Warriors need to begin asking themselves is: Just how good can this kid be?
We have seen tremendous growth from Kuminga over the last couple of seasons, and he worked his way into Golden State's starting lineup during the 2023-24 season. His aggressiveness and ability to score at the rim continue to evolve, yet three-point shooting isn't part of Kuminga's style of play. On the other side of things, Markkanen is an elite three-point shooter as a power forward, and his rebounding abilities instantly make the Warriors a team to be reckoned with as far as contenders in the West go.
Markkanen could realistically be the player Golden State needs to prolong their string of success. While Kuminga, Moses Moody, and Gary Payton II are nice players, Markkanen is the player the Warriors are targeting. Not to mention, he's still only 27 and can be a part of this organization's future for the foreseeable future.
The key to pursuing Markkanen from Golden State's perspective is putting together a good enough trade package that the Jazz can't turn down. That means two young players with potential, like Kuminga and Moody, as well as a handful of draft picks, will need to be shipped out.
This is likely the best package the Warriors can offer at this time, especially since Payton could be re-routed to a third team and bring an extra draft pick back to Utah. Markkanen and even Walker Kessler, who would be two major additions to the Warriors' frontcourt, would finalize their roster for yet another title push.
Kuminga stays, Podziemski goes
Utah Jazz receive: G Brandin Podziemski, G Gary Payton II, C Kevon Looney, GSW 2025 first-round pick (unprotected), GSW 2028 first-round pick (unprotected, two first-round pick swaps (2027, 2029)
Golden State Warriors receive: F Lauri Markkanen
Should the Warriors want to keep Kuminga out of trade talks once again, another path to pursuing Markkanen involves offering up Brandin Podziemski.
The 2023-24 season offered a chance for Podziemski to make an immediate impact with the Warriors during his rookie year. In a total of 74 games, 28 of which he started, the young shooting guard averaged 9.2 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game while shooting 45.4 percent from the floor and 38.5 percent from three-point range.
What makes Podziemski a special player is the fact that he's a “connector.” Not only can he help lead an offense and be a primary facilitator, but Podz connects the dots between the stars of his team by setting everyone up for success. The Jazz already have a pretty crowded backcourt with Keyonte George, Jordan Clarkson, and Collin Sexton.
Podziemski could fit in as a long-term building block and potentially move into the starting shooting guard spot next to George, depending on what the franchise decides to do with Clarkson and Sexton regarding trade talks.
This is likely a scenario that the Warriors would prefer, despite the success of the young guard, due to the fact that they would be able to keep Kuminga and Moody as long-term building blocks behind Curry, Green, Markkanen, and Wiggins. From Utah's perspective, they are going to want more.
Several teams around the league are pursuing Markkanen this offseason, which creates a bidding war for his services. If the Warriors want Markkanen, they are going to have to forfeit a lot of draft capital as well as a vast majority of their youthful talents. Only sending Podziemski to the Jazz doesn't necessarily move the needle since they wouldn't have much use for Kevon Looney or Payton.
Lauri Markkanen for Andrew Wiggins?
Utah Jazz receive: F Andrew Wiggins, G/F Moses Moody, GSW 2025 first-round pick (unprotected), GSW 2027 first-round pick (unprotected), two first-round pick swaps (2026, 2029)
Golden State Warriors receive: F Lauri Markkanen, G Jordan Clarkson
Another advantageous trade package from the Warriors' side of things comes by way of Wiggins being shipped to the Jazz.
Ever since the Warriors won their last championship in 2022, Wiggins has been a shell of his old self. He has averaged just 14.6 points and 4.7 rebounds per game while shooting 37.6 percent from distance over the last two seasons. While Wiggins has dealt with some personal issues off the court, his production on the court just hasn't been enough for the Warriors to truly believe in his abilities. That is why he is on the trade block in the midst of July.
With this said, the Warriors are not going to give up Wiggins just for the sake of trading him. Golden State will only move Wiggins if a potential trade creates an immediate path to success. Well, Markkanen would replace Wiggins on the wing, and Clarkson would be an excellent veteran shooter to have in a backcourt that contains Curry, Podziemski, and Melton. We can also throw Buddy Hield into the equation there, assuming the Warriors can complete that sign-and-trade.
The thing about Wiggins pertaining to this trade proposal with the Jazz is that a third team would likely be involved. The Cleveland Cavaliers, Indiana Pacers, Orlando Magic, Toronto Raptors, Detroit Pistons, and Milwaukee Bucks are all Eastern Conference teams that could be willing to give up a draft pick to land Wiggins in a multi-team deal with the Warriors and Jazz.
The question here is whether or not only getting Moody is enough for the Jazz. It is likely that this answer will be a resounding “no” from Ainge and the Jazz, especially since the Warriors can offer Podziemski and Kuminga.
Still, exploring the possibility of moving Wiggins in a trade for Markkanen is something the Warriors need to do.
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