Add Lauri Markkanen to the increasingly long list of stars the Golden State Warriors failed to acquire via trade. The Finnisher will reportedly agree to re-negotiate and extend his contract with the Utah Jazz on Wednesday, making him ineligible to be traded for the entirety of 2024-25.
Markkanen, like Paul George before him, won't be making his way to the Bay despite the Warriors' pointed and sustained efforts to bring him in as a second star behind Stephen Curry. They reportedly made the “most aggressive” offer to the Jazz in exchange for Markkanen, but surely knew a package that included Moses Moody and multiple future first-round picks without both Brandin Podziemski and Jonathan Kuminga wouldn't be enough to make Utah lead decision-maker Danny Ainge pull the trigger.
Where does that leave Golden State from here? Mike Dunleavy Jr. and the front office are “comfortable” entering the regular season with the roster as currently constructed, according to The Athletic, feeling “no immediate panic” after whiffing on Markkanen. But Father Time is getting closer and closer to really catching up with Curry, and last season laid bare that the Warriors can't compete toward the top of a loaded Western Conference absent surrounding the 36-year-old with additional star power.
Even if the Dubs really are content going into 2024-25 without making further changes to the roster, it's surely only a matter of time until they're linked to other big names across the league leading up to the February 6th trade deadline. Two players many fans no doubt hope are on that list of Golden State's potential trade targets? Zach LaVine and Brandon Ingram, both of whom have been toiling on the trade market for months.
The Warriors, however, apparently aren't interested in trading for either former All-Star amid the inevitable frustration of missing out on Markkanen. But don't fret, Dub Nation. Here's why Golden State's hesitance to dip their toes in trade discussions for LaVine and Ingram is the right approach from the front office, Curry's increasingly dire need for a co-star be damned.
Zach LaVine, Brandon Ingram don't fit Warriors on or off court
First things first: The Warriors possess “no appetite” to enter the trade markets for LaVine or Ingram, according to The Athletic.
Those tandem decisions could be a head-scratcher for some fans, confused why Golden State wouldn't even pick up the phone to gauge what it would take to nab LaVine or Ingram given the team's lack of a sorely needed secondary scorer. Even some plugged-in league followers are no doubt intrigued by their fit with the Warriors, especially given that the Chicago Bulls and New Orleans Pelicans haven't found deals to their liking for either player so far—raising the possibility Golden State could get LaVine or Ingram while retaining both Podziemski and Kuminga, their ultimate aim in failed discussions with Utah.
The biggest problem with that logic? Players don't take the court in a vacuum independent from the impact their contracts have on the salary cap. Teams throughout the league were scared into cost-cutting moves or large-scale stasis this summer by threats of the second luxury tax apron, while Joe Lacob has made no secret of his desire to avoid paying any luxury tax fees in 2024-25.
LaVine is due just short of $90 million over the next two seasons prior to facing a $48.9 million player option for 2026-27, one he's bound to exercise. Among the many reasons New Orleans is willing to part with Ingram is because he's seeking a four-year, $208 million extension as unrestricted free agency looms next summer.
LaVine's ability to pressure defenses from all three levels of the floor and serve as an effective ancillary playmaker—whiles scraping his peak, at least—could be a game-changer for the Warriors. Ingram quietly leveled up as a passer last season while converting on a career-best 53.4% of his twos, and his vaunted mid-range game projects as a valuable late-clock scoring option and second-unit offensive fulcrum—elements Golden State missed in 2023-24 and couldn't find while revamping its roster this summer.
In a perfect world without cap complications and injury concerns, adding LaVine and Ingram would be a boon for the Dubs. But they wouldn't be ideal fits even in that pristine alternate reality, with shared penchants for ball-stopping and lackadaisical defense that stand in direct contrast to the identity Steve Kerr has forged with the Warriors. LaVine and Ingram don't offer positional versatility, either, still vital for Golden State as Draymond Green plays most of his minutes at center.
Bottom line: The same reasons Chicago and New Orleans have found no takers for LaVine and Ingram are the very ones that make them non-starters for Golden State.
Try to avoid the hand-wringing resulting from Markkanen locking in with Utah so soon after the Warriors also missed out on George. They absolutely need to make a blockbuster trade to give Curry another chance at winning a title before his legendary career comes to a close, but losing the forest of patience for the trees of instant gratification would only make that tall task even more arduous.
Markkanen, unfortunately, isn't coming to San Francisco. It's a good thing for the Dubs, Curry and their fans that LaVine and Ingram aren't, either.
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