Warriors and Jazz probably have path to Lauri Markkanen trade, but what is the middle ground?

Markkanen seems attainable, even at a significant cost

By Sam Quinn Jul 17, 2024 at 9:33 am ET• 10 min read

Lauri Markkanen will know where he's starting the season, one way or another, by Aug. 6. On that date, he becomes eligible to renegotiate and extend his contract with the Utah Jazz for a substantial raise, and the timing gives him quite a bit of control over the proceedings. If he does indeed re-sign this offseason, he would not be eligible to be traded for six months. Six months after Aug. 6 is Feb. 6... which is the exact date of the 2024 trade deadline. If Markkanen wants to remain with the Jazz for at least another year, all he needs to do is wait one extra day, until Aug. 7, to re-sign in Utah.

As an impending free agent, the Jazz are more or less resigned to offering Markannen whatever terms he dictates. He's too valuable to risk losing for nothing. If he does want to play elsewhere, he can refuse to re-sign at all. Of course, doing so would mean leaving quite a bit of money on the table. While Markkanen can re-sign with other teams, he can only renegotiate and extend with a team with the cap space to bump up his 2024-25 salary. That Jazz are the only team that can get him to market-rate this summer. If his goal is to get paid, he signs the moment he can and resolves to sort out the destination later. If Utah is not interested in paying him, well, it had better find a trade before Aug. 6, because if that date comes and goes without a deal, the Jazz lose a substantial amount of leverage in trade talks.

All of this is to say that we have something of a soft deadline for this offseason's biggest trade target to get moved. In a few weeks, we'll know where Markkanen is playing. Of course, the existence of that deadline also gives all parties involved a set timeline in which to negotiate, and it certainly seems as though they are using it. 

The Golden State Warriors, by all accounts, are the most aggressive Markkanen suitor. The Athletic's Shams Charania reports that the Warriors have discussed an offer around Moses Moody, multiple first-round picks, multiple pick swaps and multiple second-round picks. That's not enough to make a deal and the Warriors probably know that. But the Jazz are reportedly asking for all of that stuff, plus Jonathan Kuminga and Brandin Podziemski. This is obviously too much, and the Jazz probably know that too.