Warriors late-season rival floated as Lauri Markkanen trade destination

The Golden State Warriors and Houston Rockets reignited their rivalry to some extent late last season, except instead of the playoff battles from over five years ago, it was a race to the NBA's Play-In Tournament.

After a war of words between Tari Eason and Draymond Green, the Warriors eventually held off the Rockets for the Western Conference's tenth-seed -- not that it really mattered as they were promptly eliminated by the Sacramento Kings.

Could the Golden State Warriors rivalry with the Houston Rockets extend beyond the court and onto the Lauri Markkanen trade discussions?

The Warriors and Rockets could renew their rivalry next season as two teams looking to push up the Western Conference standings, but perhaps it could simmer even before that in regard to the Lauri Markkanen trade talks.

Golden State have been the top team linked to the Utah Jazz forward in recent weeks, yet their not the only franchise who could be interested in Markkanen before he becomes extension eligible on August 6.

According to ESPN's Zach Lowe on the latest episode of his podcast, Houston are an "interesting" team for Markkanen as their talented young roster aims to take another significant step forward next season.

"Houston is an interesting one to me because I've just been of the view that if I'm the Rockets, I just need to let this thing marinate...But I know Ime Udoka and the coaching staff, they want to win. They want to hit the gas now. And Markkanen would be a way to hit the gas."

- Zach Lowe

The Rockets abundance of talented young players and future picks could certainly outbid the Warriors in such a scenario, but it remains to be seen whether they're quite ready for that "all-in" kind of move.

Like Golden State with Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody, Houston also have decisions to make on 2021 first-round picks Jalen Green and Alperun Sengun. What happens with that duo could significantly hamper the Rockets ability to extend Markkanen's deal while retaining any real financial flexibility.

If Houston were to pull off a trade for the 2023 All-Star, all of a sudden they'd likely be projected as a better team than Golden State next season. That's the issue for the Warriors in these discussions -- not only do they need Markkanen for their own benefit, but their ability to make the playoffs next season is seriously compromised if he ends up with a young team like the Rockets or San Antonio Spurs.