Inside The Warriors

Golden State Warriors Receive Concerning Update on Lauri Markkanen Trade

This Lauri Markkanen news does not make a Warriors trade look encouraging
Joey Linn|
Mar 27, 2024; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen (23) reacts to a play against the San Antonio Spurs during the fourth quarter at Delta Center.
Mar 27, 2024; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen (23) reacts to a play against the San Antonio Spurs during the fourth quarter at Delta Center. | Rob Gray-USA TODAY Sports

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Golden State WarriorsUtah Jazz

Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen is the top remaining name on the NBA trade market. Still just 27 years old, Markkanen has averaged 24.5 points per game in his two seasons with the Jazz.

The Golden State Warriors have been the reported frontrunner for Markkanen if the Jazz were to trade him. That said, each new report seems to suggest the possibility of a Markkanen trade is growing less likely.

In his latest Substack article, NBA insider Marc Stein pointed out that the Jazz recently sent coaches to Finland to work with Markkanen, a development that suggests the organization plans on having him on the team next season.

Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen
Dec 28, 2022; San Francisco, California, USA; Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen (23) reacts after drawing a foul against the Golden State Warriors during the first half at Chase Center. | John Hefti-USA TODAY Sports

"The Jazz recently sent multiple coaching staff representatives to Finland to assist Markkanen in workouts with rising Jazz guard Keyonte George," Stein wrote. "The team has even been posting pictures of those on-court sessions all week via social media. More than one rival team consulted said it agreed with my personal read that it just got harder to see Utah abruptly turning around and trading him immediately in the wake of helping to facilitate training sessions in faraway Markkanen's home country."

For a team like Golden State that has already struck out on other top trade targets, this is a very concerning update.

Stein added that to this point, Golden State has not offered Brandin Podziemski or Jonathan Kuminga to Utah, which makes the already unlikely nature of a deal even less likely.

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Joey Linn
JOEY LINN

Joey Linn is a credentialed writer covering the NBA and WNBA for On SI. Covering the LA Clippers independently in 2018, then for Fansided and 213Hoops from 2019-2021, Joey joined On SI to cover the Clippers after the 2020-21 season. Graduating from Biola University in 2022 with a Communication Studies degree, Joey served as Biola's play-by-play announcer for their basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer teams. Joey's work on Biola's broadcasts and in the classroom earned him the Outstanding Communication Studies Student of the year award in 2022. Joey covers the NBA full-time, primarily serving as a Clippers beat writer.

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