Nuggets Acquire Lauri Markkanen From Utah Jazz in NBA Trade Idea

The Utah Jazz are reportedly planning to pursue winning basketball this season, but will they trade Lauri Markkanen first? If they do, the Denver Nuggets may hit Utah's line.

Although the Jazz penned Markkanen to a long-term contract extension worth over $40 million annually, the team could capitalize on his trade value while he's still in his prime. The Nuggets may be in the market for another scorer, making Markkanen a possible target.

A trade proposal from Greg Swartz at Bleacher Report would send Markkanen to Denver while the Jazz would get tons of role players and picks in return. The Charlotte Hornets also land Michael Porter Jr., making it a three-team trade.

Denver Nuggets receive: F Lauri Markkanen

Charlotte Hornets receive: F Michael Porter Jr.

Utah Jazz receive: G/F Josh Green, PF Grant Williams, F Josh Okogie, F/C Zeke Nnaji, 2027 first-round pick (lottery-protected via Miami Heat, from Charlotte), 2032 first-round pick (unprotected via Denver)

On top of laying out a possible proposal, Swartz analyzed why this trade would work for the Jazz.

Lauri Markkanen dunks — 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. | Chris Nicoll-Imagn Images

"The Jazz get a pair of first-round picks in the deal, including one from the Nuggets the year Jokić will turn 37," wrote Swartz. "Green, 25, immediately becomes a rotation player for Utah with his outside shooting while Williams and Okogie can be flipped to contenders at a later date."

For the Nuggets, Swartz thinks they should be "desperate" to land another star on their roster before the 2025-26 season.

"The Nuggets should be desperate to add a third star next to Nikola Jokić and Jamal Murray while also not sacrificing the team's depth," Swartz continued. "Denver upgrades the starting small forward position by swapping out Porter for Markkanen and gets what's become a mistake of a contract off the books by moving Nnaji to Utah all for the cost of a future first-round pick.
A new starting five of Murray, Christian Braun, Markkanen, Aaron Gordon and Jokić is definitely title-worthy and becomes bigger with more shot creation on the perimeter.
If Jokić can forgive Markkanen for this, he should be thrilled to add another All-Star to the Nuggets' core."

As Swartz mentioned, the deal would certainly boost the Nuggets back into title contention. The issue is, it may be too many mouths to feed between Jokic, Murray, and Markkanen.

Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray — Apr 19, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) and Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray (27) during overtime against the LA Clippers at Ball Arena. | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

For the Jazz, the two first-round picks they receive aren't even guaranteed to be great value. A 2027 lottery-protected pick isn't worth much, especially for the best player on the roster. The Jazz would probably rather invest in higher-quality draft capital instead of mid-tier role players.

This deal is unlikely to happen, but who knows? Markkanen has stayed dedicated to Utah through the team's lowest point, so maybe he'll stick around a while longer.

Last season, Markkanen averaged 19 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 1.5 assists in 47 games played. His numbers dropped a bit compared to years prior, but if he can have high-level talent surrounding him, maybe those will go back up.

The Jazz have a long offseason ahead, and only time will tell if Markkanen is still enlisted by Utah when the season tips off.

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