Great uncertainy on whether Markkanen-fuelled Warriors could return to contention

As presently constructed, the Golden State Warriors forecast as a team that could fall anywhere between six and 12 in a competitive Western Conference next season.

They're deep enough to suggest they can be better than last season if things go right, but currently lack the star power to believe they can be among the top four or five teams. If things go wrong, an improving Memphis Grizzlies, Houston Rockets and San Antonio Spurs could see them topple down further from their 10th-placed standing in 2023-24.

But what if the Warriors do add Lauri Markkanen in a trade with the Utah Jazz over the coming weeks? Does that provide the engine to motor up the standings and be a real contender in the West?

Rival executives and coaches are reportedly uncertain on exactly what Lauri Markkanen would do for the Golden State Warriors

Markkanen is not only a talented player having averaged at least 23 points in each of the past two seasons on great efficiency, but the addition of a floor-spacing seven-footer would unlock a Golden State front court that's currently cramped by a lack of legitimate shooting threats.

The 2023 All-Star would likely be a seamless fit and would almost assuredly make the Warriors better. But how much better? Well according to ESPN's Zach Lowe on Thursday, the outlook on a Markkanen-fuelled Golden State team is "all over the place."

"When you ask rival executives and coaches whether that team would be a real contender, the responses are all over the place. I'm slightly skeptical, though I see the vision. The timeline could be tight too. That team winning two or three playoff series depends on Curry and Green retaining their current levels of play into their late 30s. "

- Zach Lowe

As much as a trade for Markkanen would be about sacrificing the future, Jonathan Kuminga and Brandin Podziemski each forecast to have major roles next season which would leave a dent if either were headed to Utah.

While Markkanen may be a perfect fit, he's not widely recognized as a top 10-15 player in the league. He's made one All-Star appearance and has never been All-NBA in his seven NBA seasons. The Finnish forward is an elite play finisher given his combination of size and shooting, yet he's not an elite shot-creator or playmaker.

This is nitpicking on someone who would certainly make the Warriors better, but it does underpin the fact that most would still predict them outside the West's top four which is widely regarded as the Oklahoma City Thunder, Dallas Mavericks, Minnesota Timberwolves and Denver Nuggets (in no particular order).