Lauri Markkanen just reminded Jazz of why it's so hard to say goodbye

When conversations about Lauri Markkanen arise in NBA circles, they tend to revolve around the Utah Jazz trading their franchise player. Utah is in the midst of a long-term rebuild that seems to slant more toward prioritizing upside over immediate value.

Just when it seemed as though the idea of a trade was too captivating to ignore, however, Markkanen reminded Utah of why it's so hard to say goodbye.

Markkanen, 28, is currently preparing to represent Finland at EuroBasket. That resulted in him taking the court in a preparation game against Belgium—during which he showcased the very abilities that convinced Utah to sign him to a $195 million contract.

Markkanen decimated Belgium, scoring a national team career-high 48 points on 17-of-24 shooting from the field and a 7-of-13 mark from beyond the arc.

Utah has found itself in a polarizing position with three bigs in need of significant playing time, but Markkanen just reminded the skeptics of why he's the team's go-to player.

Lauri Markkanen drops 48 points in EuroBasket preparation game

Markkanen dominating in Europe is a promising development that will likely have Jazz fans on the edge of their seats. He experienced an unfortunate dip in form in 2024-25, posting his lowest scoring average since 2021-22 and the worst field goal percentage of his career.

Injuries played a significant role in Markkanen's struggles, however, which has left optimistic viewers pondering if he can return to an All-Star level when healthy.

It wasn't all that long ago, after all, that Markkanen solidified his place as one of the most sought-after forwards in the NBA. He was named to the All-Star team and won the Most Improved Player award in 2022-23, due in no small part to career-best averages of 25.6 points and 8.9 rebounds per game.

Markkanen unfortunately missed 27 games in 2023-24, but he was productive when healthy at 23.2 points and 8.0 rebounds per contest on .480/.399/.899 shooting.

Markkanen's eruption against Belgium has offered insight into how viable a return to form may be. His down year is contextualized by the fact that he was battling injuries on a team that won just 17 games—factors that aren't exactly conducive to individual success.

In 2025-26, however, the Jazz will roll out a more experienced version of last year's roster with key additions such as Ace Bailey, Walter Clayton Jr., and Georges Niang bolstering the rotation.

The question facing Utah is whether or not the trio of Markkanen, Kyle Filipowski, and Walker Kessler can coexist. It's also worth wondering if Jusuf Nurkic will still be on the roster once the 2025-26 regular season begins.

In the meantime, Jazz fans have every reason to be excited about Markkanen potentially returning to an All-Star level of play after watching him drop 48 points on Belgium.