The Utah Jazz could be looking to cash in on a Lauri Markkanen trade this offseason, with multiple teams reportedly expressing interest in the power forward.
According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, the Jazz have received interest from five teams from the Western Conference, including the Golden State Warriors, San Antonio Spurs, Minnesota Timberwolves, New Orleans Pelicans and Sacramento Kings. ESPN’s Brian Windhorst also reported interest from the Warriors and Spurs on Monday.
Utah is reportedly seeking a haul similar to the one the Brooklyn Nets received from the New York Knicks in exchange for Mikal Bridges, a blockbuster trade that went down in June. The Knicks sent their in-state rivals five first-round pick for the 27-year-old, as well as Bojan Bogdanovic and a future pick swap.
Markkanen is coming off a strong season in 2024-25, and has impressed in both of his seasons with the Jazz since arriving in 2022. Last year, he averaged 23.2 points and 8.2 rebounds while knocking down 3.2 threes—a career high—at a 39.9% clip. He’s on a team-friendly contract too, collecting just $18.4 million in the final year of his deal before becoming an unrestricted free agent next offseason.
Needless to say, the former All-Star could be a valuable addition to any contending team, and with so many squads reportedly expressing interest, we’ll briefly address his fit on each team:
After missing out on Paul George and watching Klay Thompson depart for the Dallas Mavericks, the Warriors could look to make a big offseason addition via a Markkanen trade. Whether they could match the asking price of Danny Ainge and the Jazz remains to be seen, as they would almost certainly require Jonathan Kuminga to headline the trade package. Still, if feasible, the Fin could represent the big addition Golden State is seeking amid a lackluster offseason.
With Victor Wembanyama figuring to man the center position for years to come, and Chris Paul joining on a one-year deal, Markkanen would be an excellent fit for the Spurs. His ability to score from the perimeter would make him an intriguing frontcourt partner to pair with Wemby, especially if he’d be willing to re-sign on a long-term contract.
Domantas Sabonis had an excellent season in 2023-24, and the Kings could look to bolster their frontcourt by pairing him with Markkanen. Of course, that would likely require them to part with Keegan Murray, and it’s unlikely they’d be willing to go to those lengths to acquire one year of Markannen. Still, as teams in the West continue to stockpile talent, a trade for Markannen could help Sacramento keep pace.
The Pelicans showed they’re still looking to compete when they acquired Dejounte Murray from the Atlanta Hawks. They don’t have much cap space to work with, so a deal for Markkanen would likely require Brandon Ingram and the $36 million he’s due next year, along with some other valuable assets, to go the other way.
It’s hard to envision Markkanen flourishing in an already-crowded Timberwolves frontcourt consisting of Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert. Coming off a strong season, Minnesota could look to further bolster their roster with a big-time addition as they aim to contend for a championship, though it’s unlikely they’d split their current tandem down low to accommodate Markkanen.
