Lauri Markkanen rumor season is in full swing. Last we checked, it's been the same old regarding the Utah Jazz's stance on him: he's not going anywhere. For the time being, that's the case, but the latest intel about a potential Markkanen trade confirms a harsh reality for any potential suitor: if you want him, you're going to have to give up something you'd hesitate to trade.
NBA Insider Jake Fischer confirmed this earlier on Sunday when discussing a potential trade between the Jazz and the team most often mentioned as a destination for him: the Detroit Pistons.
"Another likely obstacle that should be factored into the persistent Markkanen-to-Detroit speculation: Utah would almost certainly want Thompson in return. Sources say that the Jazz, in fact, considered trading up to select him during the 2023 NBA Draft," Fischer wrote.
How the Pistons feel on the matter, per Fischer, is understandable.
"The Pistons, as you can imagine, do not want to trade their Thompson twin."
Is Thompson a tall ask for Markkanen? Of course he is. He is undoubtedly one of the NBA's most exciting young players who currently plays for one of the best teams in the East. He may wind up becoming a better player than Markkanen in the long run.
But that's just it. Markkanen is that good a player that if teams like the Pistons want him, they will have to relinquish a prospect as exciting as Thompson to get the deal done. Players like Jaden Ivey and Ron Holland could be solid players, but they don't project to be surefire perennial All-Stars. Thompson is a different story.
Utah wouldn't simply acquire young players in a Markkanen trade just because they are young. They want players with a superstar ceiling like Thompson because getting him downright ensures their future is in good hands should they trade Markkanen.
This isn't like the days of Rudy Gobert & Donovan Mitchell
Something Fischer also harped on that where the Jazz stand with Markkanen is vastly different from where they stood with Gobert and Mitchell when they put them on the market in 2022.
"The Jazz hope to be competitive in 2026-27 and have signaled to rival teams that any trade offers they are prepared to consider — whether they target Markkanen or otherwise — have to keep them competitive. Utah, in other words, is not looking for a repeat of the Rudy Gobert or Donovan Mitchell deals that focused on stockpiling draft compensation."
You know why that is? Because they don't have to trade Markkanen if the package isn't good enough. They traded Gobert and Mitchell because they knew that era had run its course and it was time for a change. The fact that they got Markkanen and Walker Kessler in addition to those draft assets is kind of miraculous if you think about it.
Anyway, the Jazz have no incentive to trade Markkanen just because. They've already stockpiled enough assets, and since the start of the season, not that many players have been better than him. It's not impossible for a team to get a Markkanen trade done it seems, but anyone who wants him better be ready to pony up.