Should the Utah Jazz trade away their best player? Here’s what we know about Lauri Markkanen’s situation.

As the Utah Jazz’s medical staff looked on with a bit of concern, Lauri Markkanen threw down highlight-reel dunk after highlight-reel dunk for the screaming East High School students who attended the team’s scrimmage Monday.

At one point, Markkanen turned to the bench and pointed to his right hand. The Finnish 7-footer has missed all of the Jazz’s training camp so far with a left wrist contusion, but Markkanen’s message to his team’s doctors was clear: Don’t worry, I’m only using my healthy hand.

So the dunks continued.

Markkanen, the only NBA player to ever accumulate 100 dunks and 200 threes in the same season, is the Jazz’s greatest current asset.

It’s why the team is being cautious with him now, before the season begins.

It’s also why the league’s smartest voices continue to think it’s likely he will be traded.

The Ringer’s Zach Lowe, for example, recently opined: “The more I just look at the league landscape and zoom out and talk to people ... I can’t imagine a scenario where Lauri Markkanen is on the Jazz in a year.”

So what exactly is the situation with Markkanen, going into his fourth season with Utah? How does he feel about being on the team projected to be last in the Western Conference? And what are the rumors surrounding his Jazz departure?

Lauri Markkanen’s injury

First, it’s worth noting: This wrist injury is real, but it is also relatively minor.

Markkanen confirmed that the wrist bruise was picked up during Finland’s EuroBasket run to the semifinals, and it was causing him some pain during that time.

However, it’s not a major issue now. While Markkanen isn’t taking part in the Jazz’s major training camp sessions, he is present for them. He also works out afterward, both on and off the court — and he doesn’t have any visible wrist protection on during those sessions viewed by the media. He’s still dribbling, if not dunking, with either hand.

“It’s more maintenance. I’m lucky that I got to see this in San Antonio a bunch when guys were playing Eurobasket. They just competed really hard for a month and laid it all on the line,” Jazz head coach Will Hardy said. “It’s nothing that we’re concerned about, but it’s just some bumps and bruises that we want to manage in this moment as he’s coming off of that. There’s nothing to be concerned about at all.”

When Markkanen was asked if he was anticipating being ready for the season, he responded, “Yeah, I am.”

“I’m not sure what the exact date is when I’m going to start, but [I’ve] been doing rehab every day and working out and feeling better.”

Last season, the NBA fined the Jazz $100,000 for sitting a healthy Markkanen against the Washington Wizards in March as the team tried to lose games down the stretch. Markkanen must play when he is able, with only limited exceptions, as he qualifies as a “Star Player” under the NBA’s player participation policy. That’s thanks to being named an All-Star in the 2022-23 season.

While Jazz President of Basketball Operations Austin Ainge said the team would avoid this style of tanking, league officials will certainly be watching to make sure Markkanen is available and playing when he is healthy.

Does Markkanen want to be traded?

When Markkanen does come back, though, he’ll be on the court with a roster of young players who are expected to lead one of the NBA’s worst teams. The Jazz are considered -1800 favorites to finish last in their division, meaning oddsmakers see a 95% chance they end up at the bottom.

As Lowe put it, “He just has to be looking around at this team and be like, ‘What? What happened? Who are these people?
This is the team I’m on now?’” Only one teammate remains from Markkanen’s All-Star first season with the Jazz: Walker Kessler.

Worse, Markkanen is the longest-tenured NBA player who has yet to make the playoffs — through little fault of his own.

This all might add up to a situation that many players would want out of. Markkanen, though, doesn’t seem to.

“Same as I always say, I love to be in Utah,” he said, when asked about his desires.

Likewise, Ainge specifically denied Lowe’s read on the situation, that Markkanen was likely to be traded within a year.

“I don’t agree with that,” Ainge said. “And I love Zach, but look, (I’m a) huge fan of Lauri. Lauri’s awesome. He’s really good, and Lauri could and hopefully is part of our next team when we’re going up.”

However, he didn’t rule out the possibility of a trade.

“I joke that, obviously, no one is untradeable,” Ainge said. “If a trade came in for me, I would convince (Jazz owner) Ryan (Smith) to take it. You know, this is how it goes.”

Markkanen shared similar thoughts.

“The rumors (have) already started, but I don’t pay attention to that. Pretty much anybody can get traded in this league,” Markkanen continued. “So you just play to the best of your abilities, and enjoy the practices and games and time I get to spend in this facility and with these guys. And if something happens, then we adjust.”

Evaluating the Jazz’s trade options

That being said, the Jazz’s rebuild means that the team’s window for playoff contention is probably still a few years out. Under a classic build scenario, Utah would pair Ace Bailey and a few other young players from this roster with a top pick from the upcoming 2026 NBA Draft, spend a couple of years developing those guys, and voilá, a quality team is born.

By that time, Markkanen would be at the tail end of his prime and the tail end of his four-year extension. Unless the Jazz have a plan to accelerate that timeline — and they have struck out on any and all “big game hunting” to this point — it will likely take that long to become NBA-relevant.

But despite this, by all insider accounts, the Jazz have never gotten near the finish line on a Markkanen deal; not this offseason, nor in previous years, before he signed his big money deal. The Jazz have asked for both multiple picks that fit their valuation of Markkanen and quality young players, and have never really gotten an offer that had both.

Still, for the forward-looking fan, it’s worth noting the various trade possibilities.

• In recent weeks, the most commonly cited fit for Markkanen has been the Detroit Pistons, who could stand a significant upgrade at the forward spots in their quest to move from last year’s best NBA story to realistic Eastern Conference contender. Thanks to NBA salary matching rules, the deal is relatively clear: Tobias Harris’ expiring contract, Jaden Ivey and/or Ausar Thompson, and some number of first-round picks.

The relevant questions: How do the Jazz and Pistons value Ivey and Thompson? And how many picks? Ivey is entering his fourth season, meaning he’s extension-eligible. That throws a wrench into those negotiations. And frankly, how much do the Pistons value Markkanen? Making this deal would be their remaining major move; is Markkanen the best player they can get for that package? He may well be.

• San Antonio was a frequently named team in Markkanen discussions, but De’Aaron Fox’s extension — and the money needed for Victor Wembanyama’s upcomig extension — make him an awkward contractual fit.

• Likewise, Golden State was very interested in trading for Markkanen in the 2024 offseason, but Jimmy Butler is now taking up that salary slot. It’s possible to force a Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody package under the NBA’s trade rules, but the league’s opinion on those players has soured considerably — and even in 2024, the Jazz preferred Brandin Podziemski over Kuminga.

Future Warriors picks would be the promising assets to acquire, but the Stepien rule (which makes it nearly impossible for a team to trade away its first-round picks in consecutive drafts) would make it difficult to acquire more than two.

• The Kings were another team interested in Markkanen in 2024. Marc Stein and Jake Fischer reported that the Jazz were interested in acquiring Devin Carter. Carter had an injury-filled and inconsistent rookie season after those reports surfaced, though. Keegan Murray — who once made 12 threes in a game against Utah — could also be available, as he is eligible for an extension. The Kings have their own draft picks to trade, and many of the Spurs’, due to the Fox deal.

• Miami is always on the lookout for talent, and was briefly mentioned in the 2024 trade rumors as well. Jazz CEO Danny Ainge has reportedly been a fan of Tyler Herro, though he’s just two years younger than Markkanen. Likewise, some in the Jazz’s front office were fans of rookie Kasparas Jakucionis. Nikola Jovic just earned a long-term contract extension. On the other hand, the Heat’s pick cupboard is pretty bare.

As Austin Ainge noted, while his off-court contract can be prohibitive for many teams, Markkanen’s on-court play style makes him a candidate for any coach.

“Part of the greatness of Lauri is that he fits with anyone. He is so versatile at his size that he can fit with however we can build this thing,” Ainge said. “He can fit literally on any team.”

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