Speculation of a Golden State Warriors trade for Lauri Markkanen won't go away, and likely won't until he is officially dealt or signs a contract extension with the Utah Jazz once eligible on August 6.
Having formed a 14-man roster they're largely comfortable with, the Warriors are now happy to wait the time it takes for the Jazz to make their decision, as outlined by The Athletic's Anthony Slater earlier in the week.
Lauri Markkanen would appear like a seamless fit for the Golden State Warriors, but there's also reasons to be hesitant on the 2023 All-Star
After failing to negotiate a trade for 9x All-Star Paul George just before free agency, Golden State have clearly honed in on Markkanen as their desired trade target. Whereas the Sacramento Kings pivoted from the seven-foot forward to acquiring DeMar DeRozan, the Warriors eyes don't appear to be turning anywhere else.
There's a multitude of reasons they're willing to wait. While their overall contentment at the offseason to date is one factor, the primary rational is based on how perfect a fit Markkanen is likely to be at the franchise, particularly in contrast to other alternative options on the market like Brandon Ingram or Zach LaVine.
That's not to say Markkanen doesn't come without risk, particularly given the haul of young and future assets it will take to pry him out of Utah. There's both on and off-court reasons to argue that Markkanen would either be a great addition, or that he's someone to be wary of trading for. Let's evaluate both sides of the argument, starting with three reasons why the Warriors are absolutely right in targeting the 2023 All-Star.