Lauri Markkanen is still with the Utah Jazz, with his future with the Salt Lake City-based NBA franchise still cloudy. He still has a live contract but it seems that the Jazz are dithering about which direction they will exactly take when it comes to the Finnish big man.
Trading Markkanen has long been rumored to be an option the Jazz are mulling, especially with the interest in him shown by multiple teams. The Golden State Warriors and the San Antonio Spurs are just two teams being mentioned in the rumor mill as a potential landing spot for the former Arizona Wildcats star.
What will the Utah Jazz do with Lauri Markkanen?
![Utah Jazz: Why Lauri Markkanen Could Soon Be Traded Amid Wild NBA Offseason 1 Utah Jazz, Lauri Markkanen](https://www.hardwoodheroics.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/USATSI_22883537_168400517_lowres.jpg)
According to Mike Scotto of HoopsHype during a recent appearance on SiriusXM NBA Radio, the Jazz are bound to be “at the crossroads” soon, which could mean just two things: either they sign Markkanen to an extension or send him somewhere else.
“To me, I think eventually they’re going to be at a crossroads because they could do a renegotiation and extension with Lauri Markkanen who wants to be in Utah, he said that publicly in interviews with me and other people, but it’s going to get to a needle-moving point soon. I think they’re going to have to figure out as a franchise where they’re at because they’ve kind of been toeing the line where they’re not terrible that you’re getting a top five pick, but you’re not really good enough to be a playoff team or a play-in team, so they’ve got to kind of figure out where they’re stepping on the line right now.”
Markkanen has a year left on his current deal which would get him a little over $18 million in the 2024-24 NBA season. What’s very much certain is that the Jazz won’t just let Markkanen walk away from them in next year’s free agency, hence the trade rumors.
![Utah Jazz: Why Lauri Markkanen Could Soon Be Traded Amid Wild NBA Offseason 2 Utah Jazz, Lauri Markkanen](https://www.hardwoodheroics.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/USATSI_22884716_168400517_lowres.jpg)
Markkanen played 55 games for the Jazz last season and averaged 23.2 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 2.0 assists while connecting on nearly 40 percent of his attempts from downtown.
![Utah Jazz: Why Lauri Markkanen Could Soon Be Traded Amid Wild NBA Offseason 3 Utah Jazz, Lauri Markkanen](https://www.hardwoodheroics.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/USATSI_22884226_168400517_lowres.jpg)
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