Lauri Markkanen makes one thing clear about career & Jazz goals
By Matt John
For the foreseeable future, Lauri Markkanen will be the face of the Utah Jazz's future. In the two years since the Jazz acquired him in the deal for Donovan Mitchell, Markkanen has risen through the ranks high enough that he's been ranked high in player rankings.
As impressive as he's been, Markkanen believes that both he and the Jazz can get better from here. While talking with Sportskeeda's Grant Afseth, Afseth asked Markkanen what goals the Jazz star has for the 2024-25 season.
Markkanen does not mince words about what both his goals as a player and the Jazz's goals as a team.
"Of course! You don't want to be just a one-time all-star. The goal is always to improve and show the new things you've been working on in your game. I'm always trying to take that next step in my development, but it all starts with team success. Everything else comes from there."
Markkanen's words are all well-meaning, but the question is, will his goals contradict with what the Jazz want?
Markkanen's progress could be a Catch-22 for the Jazz
The Jazz didn't think twice about extending Markkanen, going as far as making sure they can't trade him until July of 2025. There's a good reason for that. Markkanen is a certified stud in this league, and knowing the kind of player he is, he creates room for the Jazz to improve depending on who's out there with him.
But that could be a problem if he follows through on his promise to improve and by extension, for the Jazz to improve. No one has a problem with Markkanen or the team getting better as long as the ceiling is becoming a title contender, and that is far from certain for the Jazz.
That is particularly the case for the Jazz this season, knowing what they could lose if they fall out of the top 10. This is a bad year for that to happen, knowing the young talent that will enter the 2025 NBA Draft.
So, if Markkanen does take another step, which could very well lead to the Jazz doing the same, do they see that through, or do they bench him? This is certainly a situation where there is no clear answer.
In a picture-perfect scenario, the Jazz show signs of a team that can not only get better but also has a potentially high ceiling while also managing to be one of the worst teams in the league. No one in Utah has a problem with Markkanen at all. They just don't want his stardom to be a problem.