Utah management has been clear from the start they intend to re-sign Lauri Markkanen and keep him as part of the team’s core going forward. However, the 27-year-old All-Star forward is in his prime and not really on the Jazz’s rebuilding timeline, and the expectation in league circles is that Markkanen will get traded within the next year.
The Warriors were hoping to pull off that trade this summer, but — as his style — Utah’s Danny Ainge is keeping the asking price high, and the sticking point appears to be Brandin Podziemski, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic.
The Golden State Warriors have been the most engaged team for Markkanen in recent weeks, as league sources tell The Athletic they have discussed a proposal around Moses Moody, multiple first-round picks, multiple pick swaps and multiple second-round picks. The Jazz, however, have asked for the bulk of young talent and capital the Warriors possess, including Moody, Jonathan Kuminga and Brandin Podziemski, along with picks, which has been a non-starter thus far for Golden State, league sources said.
Utah understood the Warriors would never give up Kuminga and Podziemski, and Charania said on Sirus XM NBA Radio that the Jazz’s focus was on Podziemski plus the three first-round picks, plus some swaps. That price was still too rich for the Warriors’ blood, they wanted to add Markkanen to Kuminga and Podziemski along with Stephen Curry, forming a team that could compete at the top of the West.
Aug. 6 is the big day coming up in the Markkanen trade saga. That is the first day the Utah Jazz are allowed to offer a contract extension to Markkanen — and the day he has to sign it to be eligible to be traded the February trade deadline (there is a six-month trade moratorium on a player after he signs an extension).
Conversations with league sources at Summer League in Las Vegas made it clear the expectation is the Jazz will re-sign Markkanen to a massive contract on Aug. 6, and the trade talk will die down until the deadline. While he could get moved that day, the expectation is that Markkanen trades will be a topic for next offseason. Maybe things shift in the next two weeks, but don’t bet on it. The sides seem pretty set on their positions.
