Lauri Markkanen, a forward from Finland, played for the Chicago Bulls and Cleveland Cavaliers before becoming a hot commodity with the Utah Jazz a few years ago. The problem is that teams hoping to acquire him will have some difficulty because he is not available for trade anytime soon.
The Jazz have shown interest in renegotiating and extending Markkanen’s contract in the last few months before he becomes a free agency in the summer of 2020. With their budget space, they can use this season to more than quadruple his current $18 million contract, and in 2025, they can sign the former All-Star to a multi-year agreement.
The Jazz have been rather quiet this summer, concentrating on lesser acquisitions like Johnny Juzang, Drew Eubanks, and second-round pick Kyle Filipowski, even though they have over $30 million in salary room. This suggests that they are putting flexibility first and might decide to keep Markkanen around.
The Jazz are positioned to keep Markkanen as a vital component of their future ambitions, as seen by their unwillingness to make significant changes. The Finnish forward will be available for a contract extension on August 6. The film of Markkanen’s off-season workouts supports the idea that he is getting ready to advance in his Jazz career.
Forward All-Star Utah Jazz Would Prefer Not To Trade Lauri Markkanen
It was recently reported that the Finnish All-Star would rather play with the Jazz in Salt Lake City. According to a Doric Sam story for Bleacher story, Utah might have to retain his services in the near future.
The Athletic’s Tony Jones disclosed that the most likely scenario is that Markkanen signs a contract extension with the Jazz after he becomes eligible on August 6 because he doesn’t want to be traded from Utah during an appearance on The Drive with Spence Checketts on ESPN 700 in Salt Lake City.
According to Jones (via HoopsHype), “I would expect him to sign on August 7th, or after August 6th.” “I expect Laurie to sign the renegotiation and extension after August 6th so there isn’t any trade talk this year because he doesn’t want to be traded.”
As things stand, on August 6 Markkanen will be qualified for a contract extension. If he signs after August 7, the Jazz won’t be able to trade him until the 2025 offseason. If he signs on that date, he won’t be able to be traded for six months.
Even though the Jazz haven’t made the playoffs in the previous two seasons due to their troubles, Markkanen is prepared to contribute to the team’s development. In order to set themselves up for a top lottery pick in 2025, the Jazz seem to be focusing this season on their young core, with Markkanen continuing to be an important part of their long-term goals.