The Utah Jazz are likely to see Lauri Markkanen make his second-straight All-Star game, not only as a member of the club but for his career. A career that was rejuvenated by coming to Salt Lake City. He's become the face of the franchise and has propelled the team to a winning record with him on the court.
They're a playoff team with him on the roster and because we're not sure what Danny Ainge wants to do with the club going forward, there have been rumors that have persisted. Rumors that the Jazz would trade Markkanen if the right offer came along. An offer that would resemble the return of Rudy Gobert and/or Donovan Mitchell.
And while those were great trades; they got Markkanen, Collin Sexton, and Walker Kessler thanks to those trades, at a certain point you have to plant your flag, pick your guys, and build around what you have. With teams like the Los Angeles Lakers willing to part with Austin Reeves for Markkanen (allegedly), fans have gotten worried that the Jazz would keep flipping assets for years to come and never actually start building anything.
But apparently, fans can step fretting about that possibility. While we don't know if Jordan Clarkson and Kelly Olynyk will be around after the NBA Trade Deadline, we do know that Markkanen should be.
The current word going around thanks to The Athletic, is that Markkanen is as "untouchable as they come", meaning unless the Jazz gets a stupidly impressive trade package, they aren't likely to trade their starting small forward, and hopeful two-time All-Star.
If the team has such a high opinion of the man dubbed The Finnisher, then the Jazz should begin sincerely building around him. That means turning into buyers this trade deadline and moving mountains to make sure he's properly supported while he's in his prime.