Lauri Markkanen’s rumor season is in full swing. Last time we checked, it was the same old opinion on the Utah Jazz’s attitude toward him: He’s not going anywhere. That’s the case for now, but the latest information about a possible Markkanen trade confirms a harsh reality for any potential suitor: If you want him, you’ll have to give up something you’d hesitate to trade.
NBA insider Jake Fischer confirmed as much earlier on Sunday when discussing a potential trade between the Jazz and the team most often mentioned as a destination for him: the Detroit Pistons.
“Another likely hurdle to consider in the ongoing Markkanen-Detroit speculation: Utah would almost certainly want Thompson in a trade. Sources say the Jazz were in fact considering selecting him at the 2023 NBA Draft,” Fischer wrote.
What the Pistons think about this is understandable, according to Fischer.
“The Pistons, as you can imagine, do not want to trade their Thompson twin brother.”
Is Thompson a big ask for Markkanen? Of course he is. He is undoubtedly one of the NBA’s most exciting young players, currently playing for one of the best teams in the East. He may become a better player than Markkanen in the long term.
But that’s just it. Markkanen is such a good player that if teams like the Pistons want him, they’ll have to give up a prospect as exciting as Thompson to get the deal done. Players like Jaden Ivey and Ron Holland can be solid players, but they aren’t expected to be surefire perennial All-Stars. Thompson is a different story.
Utah wouldn’t simply sign young players in a Markkanen trade just because they’re young. They want players with superstar ceiling like Thompson because getting him outright ensures their future is in good hands if they trade Markkanen.
This isn’t like the days of Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell
Something Fischer also hammered home is that the Jazz standings with Markkanen are vastly different from where they were with Gobert and Mitchell when they launched them in 2022.
“The Jazz hope to be competitive in 2026-2027 and have told rival teams that any trade offers they want to consider — whether targeting Markkanen or otherwise — should keep them competitive. In other words, Utah isn’t looking for a repeat of the Rudy Gobert or Donovan Mitchell deals that focused on stockpiling draft compensation.”
Do you know why that is? Because they don’t have to trade Markkanen if the package isn’t good enough. They traded Gobert and Mitchell because they knew the era was over and it was time for a change. The fact that they got Markkanen and Walker Kessler in addition to these draft assets is a bit miraculous when you think about it.
Either way, the Jazz have no reason to trade Markkanen just because. They have already amassed enough resources and not many players have been better than him since the start of the season. It doesn’t seem like it’s impossible for a team to pull off a Markkanen trade, but anyone who wants him better be prepared to step up.
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