At the current time, it appears the Utah Jazz are not trading Lauri Markkanen. There have been rumblings about them trading him to the Warriors, but for the time being, the two are not on the same page for a trade. What remains to be seen is what the Jazz would want in return for Markkanen.
ESPN's Tim MacMahon believes that the Jazz want one particular player from the Warriors should they agree to a trade. Surprisingly, that player is not Jonathan Kuminga.
"Educated speculation, I think Podziemski would have to be in the deal,"MacMahon on the Lowe Post podcast (transcribed by RealGM). "Obviously, you're talking about a ton of picks. I don't know how much the Jazz would press on Kuminga. I do think if Podziemski is not in the deal, there wouldn't be a deal."
Podziemski is coming off a solid rookie campaign for the Warriors. His rookie performance made him stand out so well that he made the NBA's 2024 All-Rookie team. It didn't lead to much team success for the Warriors, but he is part of a promising youth movement in Golden State.
Why Podziemski appeals more to Utah than Kuminga
It's not about who's better than who in this case, because Kuminga is not only more experienced, but he is coming off the best season of his career. It's about who would be more convenient to add.
For as good as Kuminga is, the problem with adding him at this stage is that he's up for a big extension with his rookie contract about to end. Though the Jazz have plenty of cap space to use on him, they may not want that just yet.
Podziemski, on the other hand, will enter the second year of his rookie deal, making him a productive player on a cheap contract. This is why someone as reportedly available as Walker Kessler is tough to acquire. He's good at what he does, but more importantly, he's on a cheap deal. That's why the Jazz have some pretty big demands in return for him.
The Jazz can maintain some flexibility for the next three years if they get Podziemski instead of Kuminga. It's possible that, if they trade Markkanen to Golden State, they get both, but getting an exciting player on a cheap deal would be a great asset to have when embracing the rebuild.