Lakers Trade Pitch Moves Three Players, Two Picks for $195 Million All-Star

If the Utah Jazz make All-Star Lauri Markkanen available, it’s safe to say that many teams around the NBA would be keen on him. A few make more sense than others, and the Los Angeles Lakers would be at the top of that list. Not only could the Lakers be looking for a third star, but he’d be an excellent complementary piece to LeBron James and Luka Doncic. James and Doncic can play well off his spacing, as Markkanen would provide just that as a big man. 

What Would the Lakers Give up for Lauri Markkanen?

In a recent trade idea from Ryan Shea of Sports Illustrated, he noted that it could involve a third team. He had the Los Angeles Lakers moving on from multiple players and assets for just Markkanen. While this could be a good trade for Los Angeles, it’s also fair to wonder if the Utah Jazz would accept the deal. 

Lakers Receive: Lauri Markkanen 

Jazz Receive: Rui Hachimura, Dalton Knecht, Gabe Vincent, two future first-round picks

“The Los Angeles Lakers expect to compete for a title every season. As a franchise, they are second in total NBA championships with 17, only behind the Boston Celtics’ 18. Each season, they are aggressive in their pursuit of talent in order to achieve this goal, and this trade aligns with that style of business. Acquiring Markkanen gives them a significantly better chance to compete in the 2025-2026 season and beyond, as Markkanen is under team control through the 2028-2029 season,” he wrote.

Could a Trade Between Utah and Los Angeles Happen?

The one reason why it’s possible the Utah Jazz could accept this type of trade from the Los Angeles Lakers is that they might understand that, at some point, Markkanen could ask out or just not re-sign with them in free agency. Given the current state of free agency, with free agents often not in the best positions to secure long-term deals due to limited cap space in the market, potential issues may arise. 

However, Shea thinks it’s possible that the Jazz could move on from him in a deal with the Lakers or another team because of the position they’re currently in. 

“The Utah Jazz are very far away from competing for an NBA title. They finished with the worst record in the entire NBA at 17-65 in the 2024-2025 season. It would make sense for them to look to acquire more draft capital and shed some salary as they look to rebuild towards a brighter future,” he explained.

Jazz Aren’t Looking to Trade Lauri Markkanen

Despite the possibility of the Utah Jazz trading Markkanen to a team like the Los Angeles Lakers, ESPN reported in mid-July that they currently aren’t looking to move on from him. 

The Jazz have moved multiple veterans during the earlier stages of the offseason, but no Markkanen move has been made yet. It’s possible that could change, but the Lakers don’t seem to be in a great position to land a player of his caliber right now. 

“The Jazz have parted ways with veterans Jordan Clarkson, John Collins and Collin Sexton this summer, clearing the way for Utah’s collection of young picks to develop and be evaluated during another season that is likely to end with the best possible lottery odds. This has prompted a lot of scouts and executives to wonder whether the Jazz would trade 28-year-old Markkanen next, as new president of basketball operations Austin Ainge takes over as the primary decision-maker in the franchise’s rebuild,” Tim MacMahon wrote.

“That is not Utah’s intention, sources told ESPN. It would be too much to describe Markkanen as untouchable, but the Jazz still project the All-Star forward as a key player in their future core.”

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