Let the Lauri Markkanen trade speculation begin! Once the Utah Jazz's season ends, Markkanen will be trade-eligible. There haven't been any reports confirming he wants out or Utah plans to part ways with him, but that won't stop the rampant speculation that is sure to come.
Besides the fact that Markkanen doesn't fit Utah's timeline, what will surely fuel the speculation is that he signed his extension last summer predicated on Utah's promise to improve the team last year, which did not happen.
With Markkanen looking increasingly out of place on the Jazz's roster, it's hard not to think his days with the Jazz are numbered. If the Jazz look to trade him, Bleacher Report's Zach Buckley proposed a trade between the Jazz and the Portland Trail Blazers.
He proposed the following deal between the division rivals.
Trail Blazers receive: Markkanen
Jazz receive: Jerami Grant, Robert Williams III, two future first-round picks
Buckley explained why the Jazz would make this trade.
"Regardless (of) what happens at next month's draft lottery, the Jazz won't be able to get their roster on the same timeline as Markkanen's. Not soon enough to justify the cost of his colossal contract, at least. Getting two firsts for him, given the year he's having and the money he's owed, feels like a big win, even if Grant is similarly overpaid (but not for as long or as much) and Williams is a walking injury risk," he wrote.
Grant has had a bit of a down year, but the Jazz could use the fact that he fits a need for them at small forward to market him to interested suitors. Williams is a fantastic player who, unfortunately, is never able to play. Either the Jazz would sell him for assets or combine him with another player to acquire an upgrade or assets.
This is a deal that would save the Jazz money long-term, but other factors at play could motivate the Jazz to trade Markkanen to Portland.
What could incentivize Utah to make this deal
The Jazz already have plenty of draft assets. Getting more at this point could be problematic because there are only so many roster spots. However, if the Jazz can snare the Trail Blazers' lottery pick this year from this deal, that could push them to trade Markkanen.
The Trail Blazers are projected to finish with the ninth-worst record in the NBA this year. Whether it stays that way is up in the air (Hello Phoenix!), but that projected lottery pick is just high enough, with a draft class expected to have a lot of talent, to entice Utah if Portland were to put that on the table for Markkanen.
It may sound like an underpay for the Jazz star, knowing how good he has been in the past, but the Jazz have to keep in mind that the Finnisher's numbers took a hit, and he just got a massive pay raise. For that, his value is not nearly as high as it was last year.
Several facts remain that the Jazz can't. One, Markkanen's long-term place in Utah makes little sense with how old he is. Two, his contract is very expensive which might make it hard to move. Three, getting a lottery pick out of him might be difficult.
The funny thing is, a deal like this is pretty even for both sides when thinking about how Portland did this season.
Why Portland fits as a home for Markkanen
While the Jazz picked a direction this season, the Trail Blazers did as well, but it wasn't what anyone had expected in the latter's case. Both teams were expected to be among the worst in the NBA this year, and while it started that way for both, it didn't end that way.
Utah embraced the tank through and through while Portland gradually improved as the season progressed to the point where they have pretty much taken themselves out of the Cooper Flagg race. Instead of bottoming out, Portland decided to focus more on taking the first steps towards constructing a winner.
While making the playoffs might not happen, the Trail Blazers clearly demonstrated that they have something promising on their hands to the point that they could be next season what the Pistons were this season. Adding Markkanen for some of their expendable players only takes them a step further.
Markkanen fits better on a team that will try to win. From the looks of things, Utah will not try to win next year. Portland isn't a contender, but they are on the rise, and would benefit from having a win-now star like Markkanen. He wouldn't immediately vault them to contention next season, but he would be a massive step in the right direction.
And if the Jazz get a lottery pick for their troubles in addition to the high one they're getting a month from now, that's a home run for them too.
Grade: A- (if the Jazz get a top-10 pick from Portland