With the NBA season coming closer, Utah Jazz Forward Lauri Markkanen’s time is running out. For the past several weeks, it looked like Lauri Markkanen was going to be traded to the Golden State Warriors, or the Wizards, Lakers, Knicks, 76ers, or little Jimmy’s team down the street. However, his time for being traded is running out, and there hasn’t been an announcement yet. The Utah Jazz have between now and August 6 to have a deal go through, and at the moment, that doesn’t look like it will happen. So what will happen if Lauri stays with the Jazz, and does he even want to?
Where Will Lauri Markkanen’s Go From Here?
Markkanen came to the Utah Jazz in a trade back in 2022 when Donovan Mitchell went to the Cleveland Cavaliers. It was then that it was believed that he would be the heart of the Jazz to build around. Since he came to town, he has changed his game and risen to a new level of play. He has averaged almost 25 points a game, 8.4 rebounds, and two assists a game with almost 50 percent from the field and 40 percent from three-point range.
Lauri’s Career With The Jazz
How Good Is He?
Markkanen’s career started long before the Jazz back in 2017. Even then, Indiana Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle saw his potential when he said,
“He’s the closest thing that I’ve seen to Nowitzki in terms of a seven-footer that can really stretch the game out and play inside.”
With his trade rumor and potential departure, this means a great deal for the Jazz’s future. Could they be trying to start building around another player, or now that time is running out, could they be using this as an opportunity to see what other teams are out there, as they have had many offers for him?
In an interview with ESPN, Lauri Markkanen said that he wanted to stay in Utah when he was talking with writer Tony Jones,
“Lauri has really taken to Utah. His family has taken to Utah. Obviously, the Jazz can trade him between now and Aug 6th, and Lauri knows that, but Lauri has forged a really close relationship to Will Hardy. And Will has really found a way to unlock his career.”
There isn’t much of an argument that the Jazz are better with Lauri Markkanen, as they have gotten close to playing in the tournament the last two seasons. They finished last season just three games away from making the playoffs. In the last two seasons, the Jazz went 13-28 without him.
Not only that, but Head Coach Will Hardy has his own opinion about keeping him,
I’m extremely biased, but to me, Lauri is an NBA All-Star. The scoring, the efficiency, the versatility. Everything he does for our team should speak for itself. He was a little bit injured at the beginning of the year. But a big part of our turnaround is how well he’s been playing. So to me, he’s definitely an All-Star.
With time running out and trades still ongoing, will the Jazz decide to start building the team with what they have, or are they going to scrub their best player and begin new just before the season starts?
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