TRADE NOW: The Jazz appear to have somewhat hinted that they could be open to trade…

Lauri Markkanen of the Jazz is apparently of greatest interest to the Thunder, Hawks, and Kings.
Originally published by Sam Amico on Hoops Wire; last updated on December 15, 23.

TRADE NOW: The Jazz appear to have somewhat hinted that they could be open to trade…

The Utah Jazz have no reason to think that forward Lauri Markkanen is up for trade. However, rumors are starting to circulate, and oddly enough, Markkanen’s name is among them.

The Jazz appear to have somewhat hinted that they could be open to trade Markkanen at the proper price, according to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports. Or at a very high cost, if you know Danny Ainge, the head of basketball operations.

However, should the Jazz want to pursue that course, they should be prepared to accept nothing less than a huge haul in exchange for Markkanen, who turned into an All-Star last season.

According to Fischer, the teams who are most interested in Markkanen are the Oklahoma City Thunder, Atlanta Hawks, and Sacramento Kings.

Do I think Utah will deal Lauri? No,” Fischer was informed by a competing general manager. However, they’re indicating that they’re open to hearing. They are open to hearing from anyone, but it will need them to pay their price, just like Minnesota did for Rudy Gobert.

“Markkanen will be eligible to negotiate and extend his current contract before its final season begins in 2024–2025,” according to a statement from RealGM. In light of Utah’s current troubles and likely postseason schedule, it might be more prudent for the team to trade Markkanen at age 26 in the long run.

Regarding possible suitors, the Thunder have a higher draft cap.