Utah Jazz big man Lauri Markkanen got the year off from trade speculation this season entirely because it wasn't possible. Signing his deal on the date he did last summer prevented a mid-season trade because his date of trade eligibility was on the day after the trade deadline had passed.
However, expect the Markkanen trade buzz to heat up once the season ends. Despite his success over the last three years, the Jazz's decision to keep him long-term is still up in the air. Don't be surprised if teams inquire about him in the summer.
He's far from old, but at 27 years old, he's not a young buck. As the Jazz rebuild, he may fit less and less into their preferred timeline. That's why there have been proposed offseason trades where Utah would exchange Markkanen for young assets.
The return in trades like that one isn't great. The Jazz would get youth and cap flexibility back, but noting too golden. While that may sound like it's underselling Markkanen, it's very possible he might not have much trade value.
That doesn't have much to do with his production as it has to do with his contract. Because Markkanen is about to start a four-year, $196 million contract, he may not be able to go for much on the open market.
Bleacher Report's Eric Pincus revealed that's how those in the NBA see his trade value.
I've talked to a ton of teams who tell me the Lauri contract is one of the tougher ones in the NBA. And picks are only so important, more about getting high level talent and Reed is very well liked as a prospect
— Eric Pincus (@EricPincus) March 7, 2025
There will be no way to know this for sure unless the Jazz signal that they plan to trade Markkanen, which they haven't indicated and haven't indicated that they plan to. If they do, and this turns out to be true, then to some degree, it may look like the Jazz missed their chance to really cash in on his value when they had the chance.
It's a harsh reality that because of his pay raise, the Jazz may not be able to get much for Markkanen like they could have if they had really tried to trade him back when his deal was team-friendly.
However, outside of last offseason's trade buzz, which the Jazz made it very clear that taking The Finnisher off their hands would not be easy for any interested party, they've never signaled that they had any intention to sell him off.
The whole point of Markkanen's extension was to give the Jazz some long-term options. The plan was to take the time to evaluate whether he should be around for the long haul. Even if his extension may be expensive, it's not like that's the worst thing in the world for a team with time to build itself into a contender.
Markkanen being overpaid in Utah isn't much of a bad thing
Markkanen will never be the best player on a title team. If he was, the Jazz would have either sold him off or would have traded their assets for more surrounding talent. To be fair, they tried doing that when they tried to get Brandon Ingram last summer.
Utah clearly sees him as a talent that's not easily replaceable. Although his improvement in the last three years has not led to playoff success, Utah's long-term investment in him justifies giving him that extension. Plus, his contract won't hurt them financially.
Him being overpaid on a team that can afford to have a supposedly bad contract because of their low payroll and win-later makeup makes it easier for them to stomach his contract. It's not like Paul George in Philadelphia or Bradley Beal in Phoenix. Those guys were supposed to be the last pieces of title contenders that have come well short of expectations.
Markkanen is the first step toward building a title contender. Even if Utah's paying $50 million a year for said step, that's a risk they should be willing to take.