Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen is one of the most sought-after players in the market because of his ability to score and shoot at a high level. Because the Utah Jazz are far from being title contenders, rival teams have reportedly gauged their trade interest in the Finnish forward.
![Utah Jazz's 2024 Offseason Lauri Markkanen Plan Amid Trade Chatter, Revealed by Insider 1 Nov 6, 2023; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen (23), Utah Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson (00) and Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler (24) walk on the court during the first half of a basketball game against the Chicago Bulls at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports](https://www.hardwoodheroics.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/USATSI_21848816_168400517_lowres.jpg)
However, rival teams might have to think twice, as Jake Fischer from Yahoo Sports revealed that Utah is “prioritizing” giving him a new contract extension.
“At this point, the Jazz are expected to prioritize finding an extension agreement with Markkanen, sources said, and Utah officials made that clear during their approach for Bridges. That won’t stop rival teams from calling and registering their interest in Markkanen, with the hope that Utah could decide to punt like Brooklyn — if the Jazz aren’t able to secure someone close to a second star for Markkanen,” Fischer wrote.
![Utah Jazz's 2024 Offseason Lauri Markkanen Plan Amid Trade Chatter, Revealed by Insider 2 Utah Jazz, Lauri Markkanen](https://www.hardwoodheroics.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/USATSI_21939500.jpg)
Lauri Markkanen has only one year left on his current deal, where he’ll make roughly $18 million in 2024-25, and the Utah Jazz don’t want to let him walk in free agency.
Lauri Markkanen is the centerpiece for the Utah Jazz
Since arriving from the Cleveland Cavaliers via the Donovan Mitchell trade, Lauri Markkanen has been the Utah Jazz’s main man. This was evidenced during the 2022-23 season when he made his first NBA All-Star Team and was the league’s Most Improved Player.
![Utah Jazz's 2024 Offseason Lauri Markkanen Plan Amid Trade Chatter, Revealed by Insider 3 Utah Jazz, Lauri Markkanen](https://www.hardwoodheroics.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/USATSI_22832370-scaled.jpg)
Lauri Markkanen is coming off a robust 2023-24 campaign, averaging 23.2 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game on 48/40/90 shooting splits in 55 regular-season games.
Utah has done a superb job building around Markkanen with young talent, as they came away with Keyonte George, Taylor Hendricks, Brice Sensabaugh, Cody Williams, Isaiah Collier, and Kyle Filipowski in back-to-back NBA Drafts, and they also have Walker Kessler as part of their young core.