The Utah Jazz have no intention to trade All-Star Lauri Markkanen, according to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon. The report spells bad news for the Golden State Warriors, who reportedly attempted to trade for Markkanen in 2024, and have once again shown interest in acquiring the sharpshooting wing, per multiple insiders.
MacMahon noted that teams around the league expected the Jazz to make Markkanen available after they parted ways with veterans Jordan Clarkson, John Collins and Collin Sexton this offseason, clearing the way for their young core to develop.
“That is not Utah’s intention, sources told ESPN,” MacMahon reported on July 15.
“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.”
“Utah listened to offers for Markkanen last summer, but none of the talks with other teams ever came close to tempting CEO Danny Ainge and GM Justin Zanik to make a trade. The Jazz ultimately awarded Markkanen a five-year, $238 million maximum renegotiation and extension, allowing him to sign the deal last Aug. 7 and making him ineligible to be traded before last season’s deadline.”
Jazz Unwilling to Field Offers
Markkanen’s five-year, $238 million contract “isn’t a concern” for the Jazz, per ESPN, as the roster is loaded with rookie-scale contracts. As such, Utah is not in a financial deadlock like many other teams in the league and has no pressing need to make moves.
“It would take quite a haul for the Jazz to consider moving Markkanen, probably requiring him to restore his value by performing well for those kinds of offers to come the Jazz’s way,” McMahon wrote.
“The hope in Utah, however, is that Markkanen is still in a Jazz uniform when the franchise eventually becomes competitive again.”
Warriors Tried to Trade for Lauri
It was widely reported in the 2024 offseason that the Warriors made an aggressive pursuit of Markkanen, and the deal fell through due to their reluctance to include Brandin Podziemski, their second-year guard, in any potential trade.
Podz revealed in an interview with The Athletic’s Anthony Slater that he was in touch with Warriors governor Joe Lacob during the Markkanen rumors, and was assured that he’d not be included in a potential deal.
“He [Joe Lacob] told me, ‘You don’t have anything to worry about. You’re a priority here,’” Podziemski said in September 2024. “I appreciate that, being a rookie and going into my second year, hearing that from such a prestigious organization. It feels good. I’m wanted somewhere. So, I appreciate them.
“They could keep me in the dark until a trade is done. But Mike and Joe were transparent from the draft to the Paul George situation to the Markkanen situation.”
Later in the season, Warriors forward Draymond Green felt that his team dodged a bullet by not trading for Markkanen, citing the assets they’d have to part with.
“That could have been trash, by the way,” Green told ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk of a potential Markkanen to Warriors trade. “Markkanen coming here, we don’t know. We have never seen it. So there was no thought of what could have been because we don’t know what that look like.”
Markkanen averaged 19.0 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.5 assists for the Jazz last season.
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