Lauri Markkanen Opens Up On the Trade That Changed his Life
When the Cleveland Cavaliers dealt Lauri Markkanen to the Utah Jazz as part of the blockbuster Donovan Mitchell trade, the Finland-born 7-footer likely was scratching his head. As the former No. 7 overall pick in the 2017 NBA draft, Markkanen had been traded before, but in the handful of months he was in Cleveland, he thought he'd gone above and beyond to answer the bell for the Cavs.
"Being the guy in Cleveland, I took the challenge of guarding the best players on the team and really tried to do whatever the team needed me to do, and they still traded me," Markkanen recently said on the Draymond Green Show. "That was just the business of basketball."
Markkanen "loved being in Cleveland," but in retrospect, he knows that landing in Utah was possibly the best thing that could have happened to him. Less than a year later, he'd earned his first career All-Star nod, joining the likes of Mitchell among the NBA's elite players.
"I love all the guys there," Markkanen said of Cleveland, "but I understood that you have a chance to get a player like Donovan, you're probably going to pull the trigger on it. I understood it. It's always tough, especially with the family. Just trying to survive in a new environment again. But I can tell you it was a blessing now for myself and my career. Getting in the right system and environment."
Indeed, it's safe to say that Markkanen landed on his feet. But being in Utah did not rid him of some of the stresses that flare up around the NBA trade deadline. 'The Finnisher' felt like the Jazz had "a good thing going" pre-deadline, and it's been an adjustment recovering from Mike Conley, Malik Beasley, Jarred Vanderbilt, and Nickeil Walker-Alexander getting dealt midseason.
The Jazz front office, helmed by executive Danny Ainge and GM Justin Zanik, asked for Markkanen and the players in the locker room to trust the new direction the team was headed. Still, it hurt to say goodbye.
"It's tough, obviously, the relationship part," Markkanen told Green. "And we had a good thing going on so that part sucks, but the conversation we had with the front office, everybody was just like, 'You just have to trust us.' I think the players are never going to give up, so we just try to find new ways to stay on top of the surface and just keep going. I think it's an opportunity for other guys to step up and myself, trying to take that leadership part as well and trying to see where I can lead the team."
No doubt, the Jazz have not given up since the NBA trade deadline. Utah has battled in the face of many obstacles, including the team's starting backcourt missing extended time due to injuries and a six-game road trip.
Markkanen and his teammates have kept their eye on the prize, battling for a coveted spot in the Western Conference playoffs.
"Just trying to fight for this playoff spot," Markkanen told Green. "Trying to focus on each game like it's our last."
Markkanen had flashed that All-Star potential in the years leading up to his arrival in Utah. Landing on a Jazz roster that was viewed, at the time, as missing a bonafide 'superstar' player, the team's start to the 2022-23 season was quite remarkable. The Jazz were the early story of the NBA year, and despite some ups and downs since then, the players continue to build chemistry and display passion on the court night in and night out.
The fact that Utah is even in playoff contention this late in the season has left many wondering how the heck it could have happened. This was supposed to be a Jazz team in full-blown 'tank mode,' not a club competing with the best of them in the West.
Markkanen credits his stretch in Europe — in between the Mitchell trade and Jazz training camp opening up — as a big reason for his emergence this season. And as for the team, he gives all the props to head coach Will Hardy and his teammates.
"I think it's just about everything really clicking. Obviously, my confidence was super high going to Europe and being the guy, seeing all kinds of different coverages and trying to lead the team over there," Markkanen told Green. "Getting into Utah, like you said, no real superstars. Everybody trying to figure it out. I always give a lot of credit to the coaching staff and teammates, obviously. The first thing Coach Hardy [said] was like, 'We need the same version that you were playing over there. We need it here.' I think that was a really big thing for me... That kind of switched my mindset, too. I got the confidence back up in the Europe basketball and just coming in with that and try to keep that going. So that was a big mental switch for me, too."
They say everything happens for a reason. It would seem the Basketball Fates willed that Markkanen would be dealt a blow to his confidence by Cleveland trading him, so it opened the way for him to get back on his feet in Europe, and punctuated that by placing him on a new roster coached by the perfect guy to recognize his unique skill set, and tap into his All-Star potential.
It'll be fun to see how the remainder of this season unfolds for Markkanen and the Jazz. As it stands, though, I don't think anyone inside Jazz HQ is being kept up at night with regrets over dishing away Mitchell and Rudy Gobert in the same offseason.
Not only has Markkanen emerged into an All-Star, but several other players have blossomed under Utah's first-year head coach, giving the Jazz an established foundation to build on, whether the playoffs are ultimately in the cards this year or not. Add to that the grip of premium draft capital the Jazz are sitting on as a result of those two trades, and the future is looking very bright in Utah.
Serendipity is a thing, even in the NBA.
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