The Utah Jazz are not trading Lauri Markkanen, and if they did, they would only do so if they got an offer they couldn’t refuse. That’s something every non-jazz fan needs to understand. They wouldn’t just do it. One player who could convince Utah to pull the trigger on a trade is Ausar Thompson. The problem is that it wouldn’t be on the table.
Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints revealed that while the Detroit Pistons have been mentioned as a potential suitor for Markkanen, they are not motivated to make a deal, and even if they were, Thompson would not be in it.
“One contender that continues to be brought up for Markkanen between now and the trade deadline is the Detroit Pistons. So far, the Pistons have given no indication they want to make a big move this offseason, nor will they part ways with Ausar Thompson, sources said,” SiIegel wrote.
The Pistons have been repeatedly touted as a Markkanen destination and will remain so until seemingly the end of the universe. However, it’s already known that if the Jazz wanted to even make a deal, Thompson would have to be involved.
It makes sense because Thompson plans to be a budding franchise player, which is exactly what Utah would want if they were to trade Markkanen in a potential effort to get younger. For that reason, Detroit wouldn’t part with him in a trade.
Utah has no reason to compromise
The Jaz have shown that they are perfectly content to let things happen with Markkanen, and why wouldn’t they? They don’t want assets that could be as good or better than him. They want an asset they know shall be as good or better than him. Thompson is one such player, and the Jazz setting the bar for him as a primary return should show teams exactly what they want.
They don’t care about acquiring more draft assets because they already have enough. You might say that there is no such thing as too many possessions, and that is true. The amount of draft capital in Utah is not a problem for them. Now they’re at the point where they want to see their draft capital turn into something, along with young players who will be something.
That’s also why it’s difficult to fathom a plausible trade for Markkanen where the Jazz would acquire a Thompson-like player for him. Considering how good Markkanen has been, is that the worst fate in the world?
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