Report: Warriors willing to wait for possible Markkanen trade

The Warriors reportedly have been aggressive in their pursuit of a trade for Utah Jazz All-Star big man Lauri Markkanen since July 1, and that hasn’t changed despite the lull in recent activity.

Golden State remains in the hunt for Markkanen and has entered into a “waiting period” regarding trade talks with Utah, The Athletic’s Anthony Slater reported Tuesday, citing league sources.

Any possible Markkanen trade could take a while to materialize, though.

Per Slater, the important date to keep in mind is Aug. 6, because that is when Markkanen becomes extension-eligible.

The Jazz aren’t in a hurry to trade Markkanen, and Slater reports that there is belief around the NBA that the Jazz ultimately will sign the 2017 No. 7 overall draft pick to a lucrative extension rather than trade him.

The Athletic’s Tony Jones recently reported that the Kings and Warriors both had “substantial” offers on the table for Markkanen.

But Utah’s lack of urgency forced the Kings to pivot from Markkanen to DeMar DeRozan, Slater reported, citing league sources.

The Kings acquired DeRozan, a six-time NBA All-Star, on Monday in a three-team trade involving the Chicago Bulls and San Antonio Spurs.

For the Warriors, the Aug. 6 deadline isn’t as big of an issue.

Per Slater, the Warriors can afford to wait out the Jazz to see what they decide to do with Markkanen.

The 7-foot Markkanen is a dynamic forward who averaged 23.2 points and 8.2 rebounds in 55 games for the Jazz last season.

In seven NBA seasons between the Jazz, Chicago Bulls and Cleveland Cavaliers, Markkanen is averaging 18.1 points and 7.3 rebounds in 403 career games.

Markkanen shot 48.0 percent from the field last season and is a career 45.9 percent shooter. From 3-point range, he shot 39.9 percent on eight attempts a game last season.

Unless something changes in Utah’s thought process, it appears the Markkanen trade speculation will drag out until the first week of August, so get comfortable.

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