Part of the reason why watching Lauri Markkanen look more like himself with the Utah Jazz this season was that he was anything but that last season. Markkanen's numbers fell off across the board last year, which led many to question the deal the Jazz gave him in 2024. Markkanen himself even admitted that, given how poorly the Jazz were performing, he didn't want to be there.
Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix outlined how painful last season was for Markkanen, writing that, "as Utah stumbled to yet another lottery finish, Jazz officials acknowledged the toll the losing had taken on Lauri Markkanen," and that "Markkanen was having a hard time finding motivation in meaningless games."
Markkanen himself even went as far as admitting to Mannix that he didn't want to be right in the middle of the Jazz's tank.
“It was frustrating,” Markkanen told Mannix. “Not a situation you want to be in.”
It's simultaneously easy to understand Markkanen's displeasure at seeing the team basically throw the season away while also easy to question it. He chose to extend on a team that continuously signaled that the plan was to get worse with each passing season. What did he think was going to happen?
Utah is definitely playing more inspired basketball this season compared to last, but nine games in, they're 3-6, coming off an embarrassing NBA cup defeat to Minnesota, and Walker Kessler's promising season being tragically cut extremely short casts doubt on whether the Jazz will actually finish better than they did last season.
If the Jazz get worse, a trade request could be on the table
Markkanen has said that he's happy in Utah, and there's no reason to think he's being dishonest. They unlocked his game, they gave him a massive raise, and he deliberately signed his extension to ensure Utah couldn't trade him last season.
However, by confirming that he didn't want to be involved in a tank, he also confirmed that he has his limits. Utah may be playing better in the sense that they're not deliberately tanking, but more losses are sure to come. If that happens, there may come a point where Markkanen may not want to play for the team anymore.
No, this isn't a reflection on Markkanen in the slightest. It goes without saying that pretty much any and every player in his shoes would not prefer to be on a team that constantly loses night in and night out. There's so much losing a star can take before he decides it's time for something new.
Compounding the issue is that there isn't exactly a set time in which Utah expects to be good again. Some of their young talent is starting to blossom, and as encouraging as it is, it's not leading to results. Because Markkanen has voiced his displeasure with their losing, there's no telling how much longer he can put up with this.