Let's flash back to almost a whole year ago when the Utah Jazz were rumored to be shopping Lauri Markkanen during the offseason. While it's clear that the Jazz weren't really entertaining trade offers for Markkanen, that didn't stop the Golden State Warriors from trying.
It actually took a while for the rumors involving the Jazz and the Warriors to die down, and among all the intel coming out regarding trade discussions, one name consistently surfaced as what the Jazz wanted back for Markkanen: Brandin Podziemski.
Reading the tea leaves, the Warriors had to put him on the table to get the Jazz to even start negotiating, but the Warriors refused, and the rest was history. Draymond Green went on to claim a deal never materialized because of Danny Ainge, but that's who Ainge is. He doesn't just hand stars over.
But that's all in the past now. Markkanen is still with the Jazz (for now), and the Warriors managed to make the playoffs anyway, with a lot of that due to the Jimmy Butler trade. However, while the Jazz have just started their offseason, the Warriors have a commanding 3-1 lead over the Rockets in the first round.
Their latest win came down to the wire, but among the reasons why Golden State won was Podziemski's breakout performance, putting up 26 points while shooting nine-for-18 from the field, while hitting six threes to go with five assists and five rebounds.
In summation, he proved why the Jazz wanted him in a potential Markkanen deal. Podziemski not only played well, but there's no telling if the Warriors would have won such a pivotal game without his contributions. That's the kind of player Utah would want on their next winner.
It's too late to make a deal for him now, but it shows why fans should trust Ainge and the rest of the Jazz's front office.
The front office has shown their eye for talent
The Jazz weren't wrong to think Podziemski's youth and talent would potentially fit into their timeline. A player as young as he is playing such a vital role in playoff games already shows that he is an effective basketball player who can step up when his team needs him to.
His ceiling might not be a star, but he could be the player a contender wants to put next to its stars. The Warriors have Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler, and Draymond Green, which of course makes life easier for Podziemski, but it is on him to step up when Golden State asks him to, and he did just that.
Having young talent is one thing, but having that talent be playoff-ready this early is massive, and that's the kind of talent the Jazz should and did want for their future. If Utah can see the vision in guys like Podziemski, then fans should trust who they bring in next.
That might take a few years, but the Jazz continue to give subtle signals that they know what they're doing.