NBA
Jazz Will Listen To Offers For Lauri Markkanen
On SportsCenter, ESPN NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski said the Utah Jazz will listen to offers for All-Star forward Lauri Markkanen. The Jazz were aggressively pursuing trades for Mikal Bridges, before he was traded to the New York Knicks. Now, Utah may pivot towards continuing a rebuild.
Wojnarowski indicated it would take a massive offer for a team to acquire Markkanen. The Jazz aren’t necessarily shopping their All-Star forward, but could move him if blown away with a trade package.
In two years with the Jazz, Markkanen has blossomed into an All-Star. After winning Most Improved Player in 2023, Markkanen averaged 23.2 points and 8.2 rebounds per game last season. He was on the cusp of a 50/40/90 shooting season too, hitting at 48.0/39.9/89.9 clip.
Markkanen’s contract is fully guaranteed for just over $18 million for the upcoming season. Speculation has been that Utah could use cap space to renegotiate-and-extend Markkanen’s deal, should they not use that space to acquire players.