It feels like a long time since the Golden State Warriors seriously pursued a trade for Lauri Markkanen, with the pursuit hitting fever pitch prior to his max extension with the Utah Jazz in August 2024.
Nearly 30 months on and the Warriors might get another opportunity. The Jazz have seemingly made a miscalculation with the Jaren Jackson Jr. trade before last season's deadline, leaving a possibility that they finally cash in on Markkanen if they evaluate that the 29-year-old isn't on their timeline.
Lauri Markkanen interest could re-emerge after Jazz made trade miscalculation
When the Jazz gave up multiple first-round picks for Jackson last season, it signalled the franchise was ready to take a leap after years in the doldrums of the Western Conference. They had what they hoped was one final run in the lottery which landed them Darryn Peterson as the second overall pick, before many -- including seemingly themselves -- expected a rise into being at least a Play-In Tournament team.
Fast-forward to now and Utah are again stuck at the bottom of the league through the first two weeks of the season, having been relegated to a 1-6 record following Monday's 119-97 defeat to the San Antonio Spurs.
With the Jazz not as far as long as they would have liked, suddenly Markkanen's name is back in the spotlight as a potential trade target. The Warriors are in need of a big man, and Heavy's Sean Deveney reiterated their interest in the past within a recent article.
"He (Markkanen) is 29 and not quite on this team’s rebuilding timeline, but he remains a top big-man scorer, and has long had the trade interest of teams around the NBA–most notably the Warriors, but others, too," Deveney wrote.
Lauri Markkanen is suddenly an awkward positional fit for Warriors
Markkanen has long been seen as a perfect fit for the Warriors, but Yaxel Lendeborg's emergence means things aren't so clear cut now from a positional standpoint. The 2023 All-Star is a seven-footer, but he's far from a traditional center and usually occupies one of the forward spots.
Unless Golden State move Jimmy Butler, a trade for Markkanen would likely include Draymond Green, Kristaps Porzingis and draft capital. Would the Warriors be willing to start Butler, Lendeborg and Markkanen in the frontcourt? That projects to be incredibly potent offensively, but would also come with some defensive concerns and particularly without a noted perimeter defender either.
Markkanen had 22 points, eight rebounds and three assists against the Spurs, but has otherwise delivered an underwhelming start to the season. The former seventh overall pick is averaging 16.5 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.8 assists, shooting 38.5% from the floor and 34.5% from three-point range.
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