There continues to be chatter around the future of Lauri Markkanen with the Utah Jazz, chatter the Finnish superstar doesn't want to hear. While everyone is thinking about the trades that it would take to land Markkanen in some type of trade, it's worth noting that seemingly none in the Jazz fandom want the team to move Markkanen.
Many in the front office don't want it either and are simply saying there's a number that can be achieved if a team really wants him. It's not a number that any teams will end up wanting to match, but it does exist.
And while almost everyone in and around the franchise wants the man dubbed the Finnisher to remain in Utah, it's important to know that they're not the only wants who want him to stay where he is. The man himself is quite happy with being a member of the Utah Jazz too, it seems.
Speaking to the Athletics' Sam Amick (via SLCDunk), Markkanen made sure that people knew that he believed in what was happening in Utah and wanted to be a part of it going forward. He's committed to the franchise and isn't looking for a way out. So the question now pops up, why would the Jazz want to trade a Top-20 player (arguably) when procuring talent has been so hard for the franchise over the decades?
The team has plenty of contracts and draft picks to move in any future deal, not to mention that should they refrain from making massive trades, the Jazz can still acquire a bunch of young talent in the draft, so the team is still likely to see an influx of good talent. How many of them are going to be as good as Markkanen is certainly up for a debate, but the history of the draft suggests not many; if even one, will be as good as Markkanen is now.
So it's wise to keep assets you know you can't easily replace.