Anonymous GM Forecasts Lakers Chances For Jazz F Lauri Markkanen

The Los Angeles Laker would fall short in a bidding war for the Utah Jazz star.

Mar 27, 2024; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen (23) brings the ball up the court against the San Antonio Spurs during the first quarter at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-USA TODAY Sports / Rob Gray-USA TODAY Sports

Despite no signs from the Utah Jazz front office wanting to trade Lauri Markkanen, there's still chatter around the league about the possibility of an exchange happening this offseason. The latest comes from an anonymous GM who believes if Markkanen was on the trade block, the Los Angeles Lakers wouldn't have enough assets to compete with the competition if there was a bidding war. On Tuesday, the source revealed his insight in a piece written by NBA insider Sean Deveney of Heavy Sports.

“The problem for the Lakers, the best offer is going to be Rui (Hachimura) and Austin Reaves and two first-rounders, let’s say. Well, if I am Oklahoma City, I can beat that. If I am Houston, I can beat that. The Warriors can beat it—it’s a long list,” one NBA GM said.

“So the only way that happens is maybe other teams get worried about his injury history and the Lakers are sitting there with the best offer. If Utah knows they’re not gonna extend him, you’d have to consider it. I do think they extend him, but still, you’ve got to consider it.”

You can definitely count the Lakers out if it came down to what team would be able to come up with the best offer. If Markkanen did become available, it would be the Thunder sitting in the driver's seat. Not only do they have the most draft picks to bargain with, but they also have players currently rostered that the Jazz would certainly be interested in. 

Josh Giddey, Luguentz Dort, and Cason Wallace could be used to sweeten the deal if needed and let's not forget bout the 15 first rounders in the possession of the Thunder over the next seven years. Of course, this is hypothetical, and the most likely outcome is for Markkanen to re-sign with the Jazz. 

However, anything is possible with Jazz CEO Danny Ainge steering the ship. Deveney's source seems to know that Markkanen is coveted in Salt Lake City, but Ainge will still entertain offers.

“They’ll listen,” the Western Conference executive said. “They always listen. Danny’s reputation is overblown. He wants a championship team, he wants to do what Sam Presti has done in Oklahoma City. He knows he is a long way off still. They’ll be tough and the price will be high but that’s how it should be.”

The other teams mentioned that would be interested in Markkanen are the New York Knicks and Miami Heat. Despite not having the assets to compete with other franchises, the Lakers should still be busy this offseason in an effort to give LeBron James enough talent around him to make one last push for a title.

Realistically, the only path the Lakers have to Utah's best player is if his trade stock goes down due to his injury history. Markkanen hasn't been able to finish the season for two straight years and yesterday it was announced that he won't be playing in the Olympic qualifiers because of a lingering shoulder injury. With a max extension just around the corner, there are many moving parts if an exchange happens and we can expect the rumor mill to be hot regarding Markkanen moving forward.

It's also unclear if Utah is ready to make a push for the playoffs or is still in tank mode as we approach the 2024-25 season. Jazz fans should get answers soon to at least what direction Utah is headed when the free agency frenzy starts on June 30.

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