Despite signing a long-term extension last summer, Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen has quickly become one of the NBA’s most sought-after trade targets. With Utah still in a rebuilding phase, many around the league expected the former All-Star to be moved sooner rather than later.
But according to recent reports, the Jazz are shifting course and are now more inclined to build around Markkanen than explore trade scenarios.
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Utah Looking To Build Around Lauri Markkanen?
The Jazz fell to 6-13 on the season after a 28-point blowout loss to the Houston Rockets on Sunday night. However, it’s worth emphasizing why they’ve won those six games: Markkanen. The All-Star forward has been carrying Utah’s offense, posting 27.9 points per game and continuing an impressive run of form.
Markkanen’s production and Utah’s ongoing rebuild have fueled league-wide trade interest, with many around the NBA expecting the 28-year-old to eventually be moved. But according to veteran insider Marc Stein, the franchise’s intentions may be shifting in the opposite direction.
“Utah is one of those seven sub-.500 clubs in the West, but what you repeatedly hear about the Jazz on the NBA grapevine is that they long to be more competitive again,” Stein wrote. “They don’t want to be down there with all the other tankers. They miss being a Western Conference factor, which hasn’t happened since the 2021-22 season after Utah’s trades to move off of Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell.”
Stein added that despite the constant speculation surrounding Markkanen, league executives increasingly believe the Jazz are more likely to reinforce their core than move their star scorer.
“So … Difficult as it can be for rival teams to read the intentions of a front office that now houses Austin Ainge as well as Danny Ainge, more teams than not that we speak to are increasingly convinced that the Jazz are more likely to try to add to their Markkanen-led core this Trade Season rather than trade Markkanen away,” he added.
“Markkanen is averaging a career-high 28.5 points per game in his ninth season to build on a monster national team summer for Finland. It’s true that the 28-year-old has still yet to log a single playoff minute in the NBA, but he unabashedly loves Salt Lake City. There is a strong case to be made, once you take it all in, for building around the 7-foot Finn.”
Markkanen has done little to fuel the rumor mill himself. After signing a four-year, $195.9 million extension, he has emphasized his commitment to the franchise.
DallasHoopsJournal recently reported that Markkanen has never considered demanding a trade, and he doubled down on that stance at media day, saying he doesn’t “pay attention” to rumors and will simply adjust “if something happens.”
The Jazz are far from perfect, but trading Markkanen may not be a clear path to improvement. With Keyonte George emerging and other young pieces developing, Utah appears positioned to continue its rebuild around its star forward, especially while he is playing the best basketball of his career.