In addition to the ongoing Giannis Antetokounmpo drama in Milwaukee, many are keeping an eye on the looming fallout between LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers. There is increasing speculation that LeBron and the Lakers are out of the closet, which certainly concerns the Utah Jazz.
The Lakers must decide whether it is better to address this issue now or risk getting burned this season. Greg Swartz of Bleacher Report proposed a three-way deal that would satisfy both sides, but would also essentially screw up the Jazz.
Swartz outlined a blockbuster trade between the Jazz, Lakers and Cleveland Cavaliers in which the following would happen.
Cavaliers get: LeBron, Bronny James, Adou Thiero
Lakers get: Lauri Markkanen, Jarrett Allen
Jazz get: De’Andre Hunter, Max Strus (via John Collins TPE), Sam Merrill, Lonzo Ball, Gabe Vincent, leaving 2027 Lakers pick unprotected, 2031top-4 protected first-round pick
It’s a given why the Lakers and Cavaliers would agree to this trade. It drastically improves both of their situations. For Cleveland it’s more current, while for the Lakers it’s a long-term issue, but why would the Jazz make this trade? Swartz explained.
“This trade helps the Jazz secure a top-eight pick in the 2026 draft, adds more (and better) draft capital, frees up more than $20 million in cap space and brings in three veteran wings with trade value.”
Okay, if that’s their primary intention going forward, then a trade like this would accomplish that. But that’s not their main intention (besides keeping their pick away from OKC). Quite the opposite, in fact, and that’s why the Jazz’s front office would do the same laugh if this is offered to them.
Why, you may ask?
The Jazz could trade Markkanen, but not for that
All reports have indicated the Jazz plan to retain Markkanen. Plus, they would only trade him if they got an offer they couldn’t refuse. This offer is, well, not that for Markkanen, because Utah wouldn’t be offered young players, but instead veterans who they would then redirect for probably very little, and what would their reward be for this? Technically speaking, improving one asset while gaining another.
Does that sound like a good deal for someone who has rediscovered his All-Star form and is hitting his peak? Absolutely not. Sure, Markkanen gets paid a lot, but the Jazz gave him that because they believe in him. He isn’t viewed as an albatross by the Jazz, and if other teams view him that way, then Utah has every reason to keep him.
Even if they were to consider trading the Finnish, they are not desperate to do so, and this deal would be a signal that they would. This deal sells extremely low on Markkanen, and that’s not even the most egregious part of it.
The Jazz wouldn’t risk deteriorating their trade assets
So this trade makes the Jazz even worse, even though they have shown that they are not that bad when their roster is at full strength and have strongly indicated that they will compete for the playoffs next season. What helps them is that the assets owed by their previous trading partners in the coming years could have significant value.
Cleveland has had a pretty uneven season after Donovan Mitchell’s first three years went pretty well. This strongly suggests that the Cavaliers may be starting their freefall, which is good news for the picks they owe to the Jazz. So why would Utah help them send LeBron James for Round 3?
It’s possible that a reunion between LeBron and the Cavs will happen anyway, but the Jazz have no reason to willingly help Cleveland orchestrate that. That goes double for the Lakers. Giving them Markkanen would not only save much of what would be lost with the loss of James, but it would make the two picks the Lakers would then owe them significantly worse as it further solidifies the Lakers’ future for years to come.
The Jazz would be trading quality for quantity in this trade, and there would be no incentive to do so because the quality would deteriorate significantly and it would only add one asset that wouldn’t have much value anyway.
This would end their chances of signing Austin Reaves
Don’t *hurt* people, end.
At this point, every Jazz fan knows that Reaves is their target this summer. The only reason Reaves would consider the Jazz (hypothetically) is because Utah wants to win. If they indicate that a trade like this will only make them worse, he would have no reason to even consider leaving the Lakers for them.
For what it’s worth, the Jazz’s pursuit of Reaves this summer probably won’t work out anyway, but having Markkanen, a gold lottery pick, a solid core of young talent, and Walker Kessler has some appeal for a big-name unrestricted free agent like him. If they maybe took the best part of that out (Markkanen), it would almost guarantee that Reaves wouldn’t leave Hollywood for Salt Lake City.
It’s actually very likely that the Lakers and Cavaliers will pull off a trade like this, but anyone who thinks the Jazz would participate in it is kidding themselves. It would hurt Utah either way, but it’s hard to believe they would shoot themselves in the foot like that.
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