Report: Execs See Jazz Trading Lauri Markkanen as ‘Wishful Thinking'
Despite being placed within a few trade rumors in recent weeks, it seems like talks are dying down concerning a potential deal surrounding All-Star Lauri Markkanen.
The 1x All-Star has remained a player to keep an eye on as we approach February’s NBA trade deadline, with many teams looking to acquire his services. There’s much interest around the league, but it seems the Jazz have been less than receptive.
According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, several factors have now led to the overwhelming opinion that Markkanen will stay put in Utah:
A majority of NBA executives who spoke with HoopsHype believe Markkanen will remain in Utah for several reasons: He wants to stay in Utah, the price tag for him is too high with his looming free agency, and he can renegotiate and extend his contract after the season. Multiple executives called the thought of Markkanen being traded “wishful thinking.”
It’s not surprising that opposing GMs are coveting the services of Markkanen considering what he could provide as a potential addition. Through 21 games this season, he’s averaged 24.0 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 1.5 assists on extremely efficient splits (50.0/39.1/85.4).
However, it looks like the more likely scenario is Markkanen soon re-upping on an extension to stay in Salt Lake City long-term. Lauri is currently sitting on a $35.3 million deal spanning until the summer of 2025. Odds are that he’ll renegotiate that contract and add a few more years to earn him that deserved pay raise.
It was a longshot in the first place for Markkanen to end up anywhere else. Earlier reports detailed that it would take a Gobert-like offer to pry him away from Danny Ainge, and that type of package seems a bit out of reach. It’s extremely difficult to seek out a team willing to part ways with that amount of assets, especially in the middle of the regular season.
The vision now moves towards locking Lauri up for the foreseeable future, also surrounding him with a solid supporting cast to keep building upon this promising foundation in Utah.
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