After the Utah Jazz's attempt to get the highest lottery pick possible backfired, there have been recent rumors tying them to Atlanta Hawks star Trae Young. While it may sound outlandish at first, if the Jazz actually did something like that, it would grant Lauri Markkanen's wish for a co-star.
First, context. The Ringer's Zach Lowe shared some intel from the NBA Combine linking the Jazz to young, though he admitted he didn't believe it. He also explained Utah's rationale if they went down the route of acquiring Young.
"There was some Utah buzz at the Combine, and I think that was bogus," Lowe said. "You could do like a Sexton, Collins, draft equity stuff for Utah... The theory going around was, 'Well, Utah just got this gut-punch in the lottery. They're just looking at another year at being, like, 14th or whatever in the toughest conference, by far. At what point do they just have to do something, whatever it is, to pair someone with Markkanen? Maybe this is the one that makes sense.' I didn't get the sense that the Jazz were going to be super interested in that."
Every fan knows how offensively impactful Young can be. Jazz fans especially know this from what happened this season alone.
It's hard to say as to whether Young's miracle shot broke the Jazz's hearts. Nonetheless, he is one of those players that is constantly a threat whenever the ball is in his hands. Acquiring him would give Markkanen the help he needed to compete.
Markkanen Extended With Utah Believing They Would Compete
For anyone who remembers, back in March, ESPN's Brian Windhorst reported that Markkanen extended with the Jazz believing that doing so meant they would give him more help to compete in the West.
That, of course, did not happen. However, don't think the Jazz lied to him. After Markkanen extended, there was legitimate intel linking Brandon Ingram to Utah, but it was later revealed that negotiations broke down because the now-Raptors star didn't want to stay in Utah. The main takeaway is that the Jazz really tried.
Young is a better player than Ingram is, as he has a commanding presence by himself, so he is the kind of player that gives the Jazz the chance to compete. Would he vault them to title contender status? No, but he's a step closer to that when playing with Markkanen.
It would take a lot more than just them though. Lowe is legitimate, so if he heard rumors but doesn't believe it, believe him. Young may very well never be a Jazzman, but intel like that shows that Utah haven't given up on the prospect of surrounding Markkanen with a win-now veteran.
It could all very well depend on what happens with the No. 5 pick. He could be the guy that leads to Markkanen's exodus from Utah, or he could be the main ingredient in getting the Jazz Markkanen's partner-in-crime. Perhaps it's unlikely said partner-in-crime would be Young, but it would make sense if it was him.