As the February 8th trade deadline approaches, only a limited number of teams are likely to entertain the idea of selling players. Arguably, 20 to 25 teams are actively competing for a spot in the play-in tournament, significantly reducing the pool of teams interested in parting ways with valuable contributors to previous seasons. The scarcity of players on the market this season could prove beneficial for Danny Ainge and the Utah Jazz front office, as other teams will likely engage in bidding wars to secure assets.
The Utah Jazz currently sit at the 12th spot in the Western Conference at 10-17 as of December 19th. Due to the Derrick Favors contract dumping in 2021, the Jazz owe their 2024 Top 10 Protected first-round pick to the Oklahoma City Thunder, so we can expect Utah to continue to lose to avoid the play-in tournament in hopes of securing that pick and adding another prospect this offseason.
On December 15th, Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports reported that Lauri Markkanen had been made available by the Utah Jazz, later confirmed by Andy Larsen of the Salt Lake Tribune. The Utah front office, led by Danny Ainge is reportedly seeking a package similar to what they got in the Rudy Gobert trade in the 2021 offseason.
While the Oklahoma City Thunder are most linked to Markkanen, Kevin O'Connor of the Ringer NBA, reported that there could be a plethora of teams interested. Among these teams, the Miami Heat, Detroit Pistons, Brooklynn Nets, and New York Knicks have the most interesting packages and are in the Eastern Conference, making a trade much more likely.
As the season progresses to the trade deadline, multiple Utah Jazz players could be on the move. Teams have been expressing interest in Kelly Olynyk, Collin Sexton, and Jordan Clarkson.