The Utah Jazz aren't trading Lauri Markkanen, and if they were, they would only do it if they got an offer they couldn't refuse. That's something any non-Jazz fan must understand. They wouldn't do it just because. One player that would convince Utah to pull the trigger on a trade is Ausar Thompson. The problem is, he wouldn't be on the table.
ClutchPoints' Brett Siegel revealed that while the Detroit Pistons have been mentioned as a potential suitor for Markkanen, they're not motivated to make a deal, and even if they were, Thompson wouldn't be in it.
"One contender who keeps being brought up for Markkanen between now and the trade deadline is the Detroit Pistons. So far, the Pistons have yet to give any indications that they want to make a big move this season, nor will they part ways with Ausar Thompson, sources said," SiIegel wrote,
The Pistons have been repeatedly touted as a Markkanen destination and will remain so until seemingly the end of the universe. However, it's already come up that if the Jazz even wanted to make a deal, Thompson would have to be included.
It makes sense because Thompson projects to be a franchise player in the making, which is exactly what Utah would want if they were to trade Markkanen in a potential effort to get younger. For that reason, Detroit wouldn't part ways with him in a trade.
Utah has no reason to compromise
The Jaz have shown that they are perfectly content to let things play out with Markkanen, and why wouldn't they? They don't want assets that could be as good or better than him. They would want an asset that they know will be as good or better than him. Thompson is that kind of player, and the Jazz setting the bar at him as the primary return should show teams what exactly they want.
They don't give a crap about acquiring more draft assets because they've got plenty of them already. One may say that there's no such thing as too many assets, and well, there is. The quantity of draft capital in Utah is not an issue for them. Now, they're at the point where they want to see their draft capital turn into something, along with young players who will be something.
It's also why it's difficult to fathom a plausible trade for Markkanen in which the Jazz would acquire a Thompson-like player for him. With how good Markkanen has been, is that the worst fate in the world?