For the last few days, there's been speculation that the Utah Jazz could potentially use Lauri Markkanen to move up in the draft to get the No. 3 pick. That speculation then evolved into intel, but some of the latest intel indicates that, for now, this likely won't happen.
PhillyVoice's Adam Aaronson reported that the Sixers don't have any intention of trading the No. 3 pick, meaning that Markkanen will stick around, or at the very least, won't be a Sixer.
"In the wake of ESPN’s reporting Monday morning that 'some' rival teams anticipated the Sixers using the No. 3 overall pick in next month’s 2025 NBA Draft as part of a package to acquire established veteran talent, a league source told PhillyVoice that the team has given “no consideration” to such possibilities to date," Aaronson wrote.
The reason why there's been so much speculation is because the Sixers likely want to get out of the Paul George business while the Jazz want to get younger. However, the Sixers may be willing to swallow that contract whole if it means drafting their next superstar in the process.
In the Jazz's case, they may want the No. 3 pick and would be willing to swap George for Markkanen, but likely don't want to throw in the No. 5 pick for their efforts. In essence, neither side wants to be the one who gave too much.
What could get both teams to compromise
Until further notice, fans should not expect rumors mentioning the Jazz and Sixers as trade partners to heat up. However, what could get both teams to meet in the middle is by adding a third team.
What could get the Sixers to attach George with No. 3 is if they're given another quality player besides Markkanen. What could get the Jazz to trade Markkanen without trading No. 5 is if they take another bad contract.
A third team could solve this issue by giving up both a quality player for the Sixers and a bad contract for the Jazz to absorb. That way, everyone involved could get what they want without giving up too much.
The funny thing is, John Collins, Collin Sexton, and Jordan Clarkson are all quality players who the Sixers likely just don't want. They could be exchanged to another team who would want them, plus the cap flexibility they could provide.
The Jazz and Sixers make sense as trade partners on Draft Night, but only partially. Directly, neither would be comfortable giving up more than they think. A third team could mitigate that, but it will all depend on who that third team is.