Fresh off an NBA All-Star game appearance, and playing the best basketball of his career, Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen is among the most interesting names to monitor ahead of the trade deadline. Part of this stems from the potential haul Utah could receive in an offer for the 26-year-old.
Thanks to the combination of some superb play, a team-friendly contract setup and the fact that Markkanen has showcased an ability to impact the game in numerous ways, his value is as high as ever.
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An “acceptable” trade offer for Markkanen may have shades of the massive hauls the Jazz received previously for the likes of Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert, according to The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor.
So what’s the line for an acceptable offer? My impression from talking to teams is that it’s something resembling the haul the Jazz received for Mitchell and Gobert: so, five-ish firsts and/or players of comparable value.
O’Connor goes on to highlight that while that’s a lot for a guy without Mitchell’s playoff scoring resume or Gobert’s Defensive Player of the Year trophies, Markkanen (rightfully) is a fit in virtually any system with any team.
Markkanen’s situation warrants monitoring as the trade deadline approaches. While the Jazz may very well want to keep him going forward, if an offer even remotely close to this comes along, it’ll be hard to ignore.
