Lauri Markkanen proved this past season that his best days are very much ahead of him. He's not among the NBA's elites, but he's still a massive game-changer. However, if the Utah Jazz have the chance to upgrade from him, they should take it. That's why, if the chance to trade Markkanen for someone like Jaylen Brown presents itself, they should absolutely take it
SLC Dunk's James Hansen outlined a pretty simple swap between the Jazz and Boston Celtics in which the following would happen.
Jazz get: Brown, 2026 pick (if it's No. 6 or No. 7)
Celtics get: Markkanen
Hansen laid out a pretty good case for why the Jazz would trade all of that for Brown.
"For Utah, they get an upgrade and a player that fits better at the 3 and who’s also a huge upgrade defensively. It also fits all their pieces together much better. Markkanen and Jaren Jackson Jr. are both at their best at the 4. This allows more cohesion with their team and a better defensive identity."
Hansen also explained why it would be beneficial for both Brown and Utah to make that work.
"A front court of Jaylen Brown, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Walker Kessler could be incredible defensively. On top of that, this would give Jaylen Brown the opportunity to be the lead dog of the Jazz. He wouldn’t be considered the Robin to another Batman and that could be appealing to him considering the frustrations he’s had in Boston."
Even with all of Utah's talents, it's been harped on again and again that they need two-way players more than anything at the moment. Brown is coming off a career year in Boston and also has a pretty good reputation as an individual defender.
It's also been harped on recently that Utah lacks "that guy" on their roster. Brown may be on a Boston team that got ousted in the first round, but he hasn't received much of the blame, as the Celtics' supporting cast simply lacked the talent to put the Philadelphia 76ers away.
Brown more or less proved he can be that guy this year, and with a team as talented as the Jazz by his side, he would have the chance to prove he truly is among the NBA's best players in Utah that he definitely wouldn't get in Boston playing next to Jayson Tatum.
Grade: A+
But would Boston do that?
Getting Markkanen and a high pick from a loaded draft class sounds appealing, but after being humiliated in the playoffs for the second consecutive season, it goes without saying that the Celtics want to improve their immediate roster. Swapping Brown for Markkanen, even if it came with a promising prospect, doesn't do that.
If the Celtics were to trade Brown, it would be for an upgrade. Someone who is unquestionably better than him. Markkanen doesn't fit that label, but that doesn't mean that a deal like this couldn't get done.
Boston could absolutely entertain a Brown trade with Markkanen and Utah's pick involved, but it's more likely than not that the Celtics would re-route Markkanen and the high lottery pick throw in this hypothetical deal to someone else.
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