The Utah Jazz appear to be uncommitted to a possible Laur Markkanen trade.
Anthony Slater of The Athletic reported that the Sacramento Kings heavily pursued Markkanen prior to signing DeMar DeRozan, but that the Jazz failed to meet the Kings imposed deadline and that sources around the league have grown skeptical that Utah will even move Markkanen.
“The Kings went hard after the Utah Jazz’s Lauri Markkanen earlier in the week, protecting Keegan Murray in the discussions but putting on the table what they believe was a substantial enough picks-based offer, team sources said,” Slater wrote. “But they put a deadline to their side of the deal, needing an answer quickly considering the urgency of the dissolving market. Utah didn’t meet it. There’s growing skepticism league wide that Jazz executive Danny Ainge will actually move on any Markkanen deal. So the Kings pivoted quickly to DeRozan, getting wind he’d actually have interest and then hitting the gas pedal.”
Other teams that have been linked to Markkanen this season include the Golden State Warriors, San Antonio Spurs and Miami Heat.
Markkanen is entering the final year of his contract and could hit unrestricted free agency next Summer. Maximizing his value would seem to make sense for Utah, but if Ainge has some confidence in keeping Markkanen beyond next season then it may make sense to run it back.
He averaged 23.2 points, 8.2 rebounds and two assists in 55 games for Utah in 2023-24. This was his second straight season of averaging more than 20 points, and the 27-year-old has made quite the case to be among the NBA’s elite.
The Jazz are not a true contender, as they went 31-51 in 2023-24 and missed the postseason for a second consecutive season. The Western Conference is incredibly strong heading into 2024-25, so the chances of wasting a year of strong production from Markkanen and then losing him for nothing next offseason is high.
However, seeing if Utah can take a step forward with him in the fold or potentially moving him mid-season could be appealing as well.