After playing for the Chicago Bulls and Cleveland Cavaliers, Finnish forward Lauri Markkanen has established himself as hot commodity with the Utah Jazz for the past few years. The thing is, he’s not open to be traded anytime soon, causing a bit of complication for teams planning to pursue him.
Over the past few months, the Jazz have expressed interest in renegotiating and extending Markkanen’s contract before he becomes a free agent next summer. They can more than double his current $18 million salary this season using their cap space and then sign the one-time All-Star to a multi-year extension starting in 2025.
Despite having over $30 million in cap space, the Jazz have been relatively quiet this offseason, focusing on smaller signings like Johnny Juzang, Drew Eubanks, and second-round pick Kyle Filipowski. This indicates they are prioritizing flexibility and potentially retaining Markkanen.
The Finnish forward becomes eligible for a contract extension on August 6, and the Jazz’s reluctance to make major moves suggests they are positioning themselves to keep Markkanen as a key part of their future plans. The offseason workout footage further reinforces the notion that Markkanen is preparing to continue his development with the Jazz.
All-Star Forward Lauri Markkanen Prefers Not To Be Traded By The Utah Jazz
Just recently, news broke out that the Finnish All-Star prefers to stay in Salt Lake City to play with the Jazz. In a report written by Doric Sam for Bleacher Report, Utah may have to keep his services for the time being.
During an appearance on The Drive with Spence Checketts on ESPN 700 in Salt Lake City, The Athletic’s Tony Jones revealed that the most likely scenario is that Markkanen signs a contract extension with the Jazz after he becomes eligible on Aug. 6 because he doesn’t have a desire to be traded from Utah.
“I would expect him to sign on August 7th, or after August 6th,” Jones said (h/t HoopsHype). “Lauri doesn’t want to be trad ed, so if he signs the renegotiation and extension, which I expect him to do, I expect him to do it after August 6th so there’s no trade talk this year.”
As it stands, Markkanen will become eligible for a contract extension on August 6. If he signs on that date, he will be ineligible to be traded for six months, while signing after August 7 would restrict the Jazz from trading him until the 2025 offseason.
Despite the Jazz’s recent struggles, missing the playoffs for the past two seasons, Markkanen is willing to be a part of the team’s rebuild. The Jazz appear set to prioritize their young core this season as they position themselves for a high draft pick in 2025, with Markkanen remaining a key piece of their future plans.
