Compared to previous offseasons, this NBA offseason has been pretty calm for the most part. Paul George, Klay Thompson, and DeMar DeRozan switched teams in free agency, yet there haven't really been any blockbuster moves made as a result of teams tightly navigating the first and second tax aprons. However, Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen has constantly heard his name come up in trade rumors around the NBA this summer, leading many to believe that he may not see a new contract with the Jazz.
Still, no decisions have been made by either Markkanen or his franchise due to his August 6 deadline rapidly approaching.
The main reason this date is so important as it pertains to Markkanen possibly staying with or being traded from the Jazz is due to the fact that he becomes eligible to renegotiate and extend his current contract on Tuesday. Markkanen, who is currently set to make $18 million in the final year of his contract during the 2024-25 season, could renegotiate with the Jazz in order to have an extra $24 million added to his salary, which would bump up his pay to roughly $42 million next season. The Finnish forward could see a maximum of $232 million in total salary from the 2024-25 season through the 2029-30 season by renegotiating his current deal and signing an extension, according to ESPN.
What is interesting about Markkanen becoming eligible to change his contract situation with the Jazz is the date itself. Players are ineligible to be traded for six months after they sign an extension based on the legislation of the collective bargaining agreement. That means if Markkanen signed a new deal on Aug. 6, he would become ineligible to be traded by the Jazz until February 6, which just so happens to be the 2025 NBA Trade Deadline. Should Markkanen opt not to renegotiate and extend his current contract on Tuesday, he would be ineligible to be traded until Feb. 7 at the earliest, meaning that Utah could not trade him through the 2024-25 season.
The resounding belief around the league is that Markkanen won't look to negotiate a new deal on Tuesday when he becomes extension-eligible. In doing so, Markkanen will look to keep his name off the trade block, while also cashing in on the success he's had in Salt Lake City. However, the offer he can get from the Jazz on Tuesday may end up being significantly different than what the team offers on Wednesday.
It is certainly possible that the Jazz, who want to maintain flexibility with all of their players during their rebuild, will adjust their offer to Markkanen if he is unwilling to accept a new deal on Tuesday. Essentially, if Markkanen is unwilling to renegotiate and sign out of fear of being traded at the trade deadline, then Utah may have second thoughts about giving him the money and long-term contract he's seeking. Overall, from an organizational standpoint, this would make the Jazz look bad due to them not working with their star player on a deal that would benefit both sides.
Even now, the idea of trading Markkanen looms large for the Jazz.
Lauri Markkanen trade discussions
To this point, executive Danny Ainge and the Jazz front office have held discussions with rival teams, showing heavy interest in Markkanen. Many of these conversations were held during the first two weeks of July, ahead of NBA Summer League in Las Vegas. Much like they did with Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert, the Jazz have held a high asking price for Markkanen, especially since he is valued as the organization's best talent.
The Golden State Warriors have been at the forefront of Markkanen trade talks, league sources told ClutchPoints, with no progress being made on a potential deal. Recent first-round pick Brandin Podziemski is a young talent the Jazz have been adamant about wanting in trade talks for Markkaken. Podziemski has been held out of all discussions by the Warriors this offseason, sources said, and the team was unwilling to include Jonathan Kuminga in talks with the Los Angeles Clippers surrounding All-Star Paul George. It is unexpected that Golden State would deal either Podziemski or Kuminga this offseason.
Trade discussions surrounding Markkanen have cooled significantly, as no team has offered a king's ransom for him like the Jazz had hoped. One of the offers Utah received for their star from the Warriors involved Moses Moody, multiple first-round picks, and pick swaps, sources said, yet these talks never materialized into anything noteworthy.
The Jazz have a major decision to make, with Markkanen becoming eligible to renegotiate and extend his contract with the team on Tuesday. While it looks unlikely that Aug. 6 will be the day that Markkanen will want to sign a new deal, his future with the Jazz is certainly up for debate.
Along with the Warriors, the San Antonio Spurs were another team showing strong trade interest in Markkanen this offseason. Another team worth keeping a very close eye on regarding Markkanen is the Oklahoma City Thunder. Executive Sam Presti is never afraid to make a big move to put his team in a championship position, and the Thunder have a plethora of draft assets that they can offer up at their disposal. The possible addition of Markkanen would be a significant boost to this organization's chances of retaining the 1-seed in the Western Conference and making a legitimate run at the 2025 NBA Finals.
There is currently no indication suggesting that Markkanen is going to be traded this offseason. The most likely of these scenarios involves him waiting until after Aug. 6 to make a decision on a new contract, one that will change the trajectory of the Jazz.
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