Lauri Markkanen just made a great case for the Utah Jazz to keep him

Lauri Markkanen is already one of the best players to ever play in Utah, as most Jazz fans know. He has been the subject of trade rumors, as he is a great player that other teams would love to have on their roster.

Lauri's three-plus seasons in Salt Lake have had some amazing highs, such as tonight's 51-point performance against the Phoenix Suns, which made Jazz history.

Not since Karl Malone patrolled the paint have the Jazz had a 50-point performance in a regular-season game. The Mailman delivered 56 in a game against the Golden State Warriors on April 7, 1998.

On a side note, Donovan Mitchell did have two 50+ point games for the Utah Jazz, but only in the playoffs (2020).

Tonight, Lauri Markkanen joined Malone in that exclusive club, along with Adrian Dantley and Pete Maravich, and showed again why he's the most important player in the present for the Utah Jazz:

The Jazz should keep Lauri Markkanen as long as possible

He's a great fit on a roster with young guys, is happy to be the centerpiece of a rebuilding team, likes playing in Utah, and isn't a 'high drama' star or a problem in the locker room.

He leads the team in scoring and will demand the ball as needed, but isn't a selfish shot chucker like some other guys around the NBA.

He's a willing passer and a clutch player not only from three-point range, but from the line, as attested by tonight's game-winning free throws in overtime.

He's a solid rebounder and moves well without the ball, something that is hard to find in a stretch four/five type of player that averages 20+ points a night.

Markkanen is a rare player that can play all three frontcourt positions at times, at seven feet tall. Even on nights where his shot isn't falling, he stretches the floor in ways that opposing defenses cannot ignore, if they want to beat the Utah Jazz.

Lauri Markkanen makes it easier on his teammates

With Lauri on fire tonight, other players benefited and had standout games as well. Walker Kessler, in particular, had a great night with 25 points, 11 boards, four assists, and four blocked shots.

Keyonte George had driving lanes all night long, and capitalized with 26 points, five boards, and 10 assists, and showed much more confidence throughout the night.

Jusuf Nurkic had a solid night with 13 rebounds and seven points, and a lot of nice screens and action with Lauri that really confused the Suns. Wild since Nurkic was on their roster only last season.

While the Jazz are working out the roles for the younger guys, it would be best to keep Lauri Markkanen around as the star, taking a lot of pressure off players like Ace Bailey, Walter Clayton Jr., Taylor Hendricks, and Kyle Filipowski to deliver until they are ready to be regular contributors.

More performances like tonight will keep Lauri Markkanen in Utah and force the Jazz management to ignore the phone calls from teams interested in the Finnisher.