Lauri Markkanen Weighs In on Jazz Bringing Back Kevin Love, Nurkic

Two of the top names on the Utah Jazz slated to hit this summer's NBA free agent market—when removing restricted free agent Walker Kessler from the equation—are none other than veteran big men Jusuf Nurkic and Kevin Love.

Both bigs entered the mix last summer as moving pieces in deals to ship out Collin Sexton and John Collins, bringing an extra dose of size, but more importantly, veteran experience throughout their most recent season that made their acquisitions to be a welcomed surprise, all things considered.

Now, as both Nurkic and Love are set to hit free agency, the verdict on what lies ahead for their Jazz future remains up in the air. However, if the call were simply up to Jazz star Lauri Markkanen, he'd love to have both guys back onboard for another year.

"I would love to have both of them back. Really good friends with both of them," Markkanen said of Nurkic and Love. "I think it would be a big thing for us. Both of them are older guys who've seen a lot of things. Kevin's a champion."

Lauri Markkanen on the pending free agency of Kevin Love and Jusuf Nurkic:

🗣️"I would love to have both of them back. Really good friends with both. I think it would be a big thing for us..."

"I think those veteran guys who've been through it are very important." https://t.co/HblmiKse0W pic.twitter.com/lPnZg798YA
— Utah Jazz On SI (@JazzOnSI) April 14, 2026

Lauri Markkanen Wants Kevin Love and Jusuf Nurkic Back

The expectations surrounding what either Big would bring into the mix weren't exactly high when both first arrived in 2025, but they've since found their way into becoming integral parts of their locker room culture and overall budding culture building inside the facility.

Now as the Jazz enter a brand new season where their chances of being competitive look massively different, that could set the stage even further for both of Nurkic and Love to have a valuable role on next year's roster as veterans who have traversed through a variety of situations, both good and bad, throughout an extended tenure in the league..

Apr 10, 2026; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz center Jusuf Nurkic (left) and forward Kevin Love (right) react to a play against the Memphis Grizzlies during the first half at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

In Markkanen's eyes, it's another reason as to why both could be great additions for next year's group. But as with anything in the NBA, a lot can change at a moment's notice. So he's prepared for whatever happens.

"You go into a year, we have high expectations, and it's not gonna be perfect, that you win every single game. There's gonna be some rough stretches, and I think those things matter on how you handle it in the locker room, and that translates to the court. So, I think those veteran guys who've been through it are very important. So, I would for those of them to be back."

"That's part of the NBA; you never know what's gonna happen. You have really good friends on team, and sometimes, they switch teams, they get traded, they sign somewhere else. So, you never know how things are gonna work out. But I've enjoyed my year with both of them, kind of reuniting with Kevin from the Cleveland years, and still have the same chemistry."

Whatever the future holds for both Love and Markkanen will become clearly defined once the Jazz creep closer to free agency that kicks off later this July.

But at the very least, with the Jazz's All-Star in their corner, it sets up for a better chance that fans may see both back in uniform for another year once next regular season gets rolling.

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