3 reasons for and against the Golden State Warriors pursuing a Lauri Markkanen trade
3 reasons for pursuing a Lauri Markkanen trade
1. Second offensive star alongside Stephen Curry
Only one Warrior not named Stephen Curry has averaged more than 22 points in the past five seasons -- D'Angelo Russell in his short 33-game tenure that was aided by a Curry hand injury.
Even despite winning the championship in 2022, the past five years have been plagued by the two-time MVP not having another star-level offensive player beside him. Markkanen could well and truly be that guy, having averaged 25.6 and 23.2 points in the last two seasons on remarkable efficiency that's seen him close to the 50-40-90 club.
Golden State could use Markkanen's offensive skillset in a variety of ways, whether it's spotting up off screens, as a deadly pick-and-pop partner for Curry, or attacking mismatches inside with his seven-foot size. The possibilities are nearly endless.
2. Combination of size and shooting provides front court balance
The current roster is set to again place Steve Kerr between a rock and a hard place heading into next season. The Warriors need to provide the runway for Jonathan Kuminga to thrive as a starter entering his fourth season, but how they do that without asking Draymond Green to start the season as a 34-year-old, 6'6" starting center?
They could replace Andrew Wiggins with Kuminga at the small forward spot, though that would bring major spacing concerns with a front court of he, Green and Trayce Jackson-Davis. However, those issues would be largely alleviated by adding Markkanen -- a seven-foot sniper who adds the spacing on offense without ridding you of size on the other. Sure, he's not the rim protector or shot-blocker Jackson-Davis is, but he's got the size and is a strong enough rebounder to suggest that a front court with he, Kuminga and Green could thrive (particularly offensively).
3. Team-friendly contract makes salary-matching far easier than other star-calibre players
One of the biggest positives of Markkanen right now is the fact he's only on the books for $18 million next season. That makes it incredibly easy to match salaries, meaning the Warriors and Jazz really only need to come to an agreement asset-wise.
That wasn't the case regarding George, with the Clippers unwilling to take back the nearly $50 million in salary it would have taken to acquire the two-way forward. Most star players like George are making the corresponding money that comes with that tag, making it all the more difficult to orchestrate a trade. That's not the case with Markkanen at present.
These three reasons present a very obvious and compelling case for the Warriors targeting Markkanen, but what about the other side of the equation?