ESPN Links Lauri Markkanen as Biggest Mistake for Utah Jazz

The Utah Jazz, across the past half-decade, have made no shortage of moves and trades around the roster to get this group to the point it's at now.

Further back, you have the case of Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert when the Jazz first opted to go into their rebuild process, along with their move to trade Mike Conley further down the line, and most recently, Collin Sexton and John Collins would find their way out of the fold after Utah's offseason shuffling.

For the most part, those decisions have panned out well for the Jazz. But, no front office is perfect, and every executive makes their mistakes from time to time– even for a team that has Danny Ainge sitting upstairs.

However, when it comes to the Jazz's worst roster mistake in recent history, that wouldn't center upon any of Utah's trades. Instead, it might be one of their decisions to not make a certain trade.

ESPN's Zach Kram recently outlined each NBA team's biggest roster mistake since 2020, and for the Jazz, their's was in the lowest tier at tier five, labeled "small scale problems," that being the move not to trade Lauri Markkanen during the 2023-24 season:

"Three years into their rebuild following the Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert trades, the Jazz are still cellar dwellers, with by far the worst roster in the Western Conference," Kram wrote. "It's unclear whether Markkanen, now 28, still makes sense in Utah, given the team's protracted timeline."

"But the problem is he had much more trade value two years ago, after he broke out and won Most Improved Player, than he does now after signing a big new contract and declining from his short-lived All-Star level. Markkanen averaged 26 points per game on 50% shooting in 2022-23 but fell to 19 points on 42% shooting last season."

Feb 22, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen (23) brings the ball up the court against Houston Rockets forward Amen Thompson (back) during the first half at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

The Jazz have always been in an interesting position concerning Markkanen since he's emerged onto the scene as a star. The timeline fit has always been in question amid their rebuilding state, with many trade rumors to pair alongside trying to find a different team for him to go.

For Kram, especially as Markkanen's value has seemingly decreased across the past year, not making such a move on their star might not have been the best decision.

Of course, hindsight is 20/20, and Markkanen's value currently might not be at the peak of its power as we saw two years ago. However, it's clear the Jazz are committed to their franchise cornerstone based on their $238 million contract dealt to him last offseason, and unless an opposing team were to offer that undeniable package, the one-time All-Star should expect to remain on board.

Mar 17, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen (23) dunks the ball during the first quarter against the Chicago Bulls at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Nicoll-Imagn Images | Chris Nicoll-Imagn Images

The NBA is ever changing, but once Utah's season tips off in October, all signs point to Markkanen sticking in a Jazz jersey for the fourth year, hoping to bounce back from an up-and-down previous campaign.

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