5 Stars the Golden State Warriors could trade for this summer

No. 4: Lauri Markkanen

In terms of pure offensive basketball fit, it's hard to think of a player who would fit better with the Golden State Warriors than Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen. The seven-footer was frequently compared to Dirk Nowitzki coming out of Arizona, and while he is not a future Hall of Famer the idea of adding a Dirk-type to the Splash Brothers is a mind-bending one.

Markkanen loves to move without the ball, curling off of screens and dribble-handoffs to clear space to shoot. His size makes it nearly impossible to truly contest his shot, and the idea of Markkanen being able to run floppy actions with other ace shooters involved (something he doesn't really have in Utah) should keep defensive coordinators up at night.

The Utah Jazz are understandably reluctant to trade an All-Star like Markkanen, and one who has expressed a willingness to stay in Utah, but they are also a long ways away from being relevant in a Western Conference that is as strong as ever. If the Jazz were open to parting with him, a long line of teams would be making bids to add a player like Markkanen, whose combination of size, shooting and off-ball impact make him the perfect fit alongside nearly any other stars.

The Warriors could pair Markkanen and Draymond Green in the frontcourt and have both size and shooting; they generally give up one or the other pairing Draymond with either a traditional center like Kevon Looney or Trayce Jackson-Davis, or move him to center and put a 6'8" player at the 4. This is the best of both worlds, and if there is a path to adding Markkanen this summer the Warriors have to strongly consider taking it.