Losers of three straight, the Utah Jazz are hoping to steady themselves in their game against the Golden State Warriors, who are also in a bit of a tailspin. The Warriors' recent struggles are a bigger concern for them than the Jazz's. However, making it crazier is knowing that Lauri Markkanen could have been a Warrior had it not been for Draymond Green's meddling.
Green confirmed a month ago that he was the one who told Golden State not to trade for Markkanen back in 2024, primarily because he did not want the Warriors to be ripped off by Danny Ainge. Well, two years later, Markkanen is off to the best start of his career while putting up numbers only one other Jazzman has ever put up.
Imagine the Warriors having that kind of player on that team, knowing how they are currently constructed. There's no telling if trading for Markkanen would have meant no Jimmy Butler trade. Regardless, it's hard not to see how he would not have been a perfect fit next to Stephen Curry.
Curry has never played with a big man with the skillset Markkanen has. These two playing together would have been an off-ball delight, as both are among the very best at being able to thrive when they don't have the ball, as they can score from pretty much anywhere in the halfcourt.
Even better, Markkanen could have been a signal of hope for the Warriors' future when Curry, Green, and Butler were all done. Golden State has been so hesitant to go all the way in because they're afraid of what the future would hold for them afterward. Markkanen may not be on the same level as Curry, but he's a good enough player and teammate that guys would have wanted to come play with him.
Would Danny Ainge have milked the Warriors' draft asset teat dry in a Markkanen deal? Of course he would have! And with a deliciously evil grin on his face to boot. Green may have been wrong about not trading for the Finnisher, but he wasn't wrong about Ainge.
But who cares?
Curry will not play forever, and now that he's approaching his late-30s, Markkanen would have been the young All-Star talent to capitalize on the closing window of the Warriors' contention window. Unless the Warriors have a better move up their sleeve from now until Curry hangs it up, they may remember Markkanen for what could have been.
Instead, Markkanen may be a Jazz legend in the making
Again, Green isn't wrong that Ainge would have asked for everything he could in a Markkanen trade. With that out in the open, if a deal like that had been struck, there would have been no guarantee that anything the Jazz got back for Markkanen would have been as good as him.
That's why the Jazz don't currently want to make a Markkanen trade even now. They know how insanely good he is, and it's not easy to part ways with someone like that. Especially if they believe their winning ways will come back as early as next year.
If that happens with Markkanen still on the team, he may very well get his name in the rafters when it's all said and done. When it comes to Markkanen, Utah sees him as either the leader of their next title contender or the guy who gets them one. For the time being, fans should expect the Jazz to want the former scenario to play out.