Because of his EuroBasket dominance, Utah Jazz fans should expect Lauri Markkanen to be floated in trade rumors from now until the trade deadline this coming February. There's been no intel confirming the Jazz will go that route, but if they do, they shouldn't necessarily expect a King's ransom for Markkanen like they did with some of their other stars they've traded.
The Ringer's Michael Pina harped on this when floating a potential deal between the Jazz and Detroit Pistons in which the following would be swapped.
Pistons get: Markkanen
Jazz get: Jaden Ivey, Tobias Harris, Bobbi Klintman, two first-round picks
Now, whether or not that's a fair deal or not is in the eye of the beholder. On the one hand, a trade like this would signal the Jazz are all in on the youth, but on the other, if he has a return to form season, many would question if the Jazz really sold high on their lone All-Star.
Pina compared a trade like this to two of the other trades that have gone down in the past year and a half that exemplify where Markkanen ranks among the NBA's pantheon.
"The particulars are different, but this type of deal runs parallel to Indiana’s pursuit of Pascal Siakam or even Orlando’s stunning swing for Desmond Bane. They weren’t quite an all-in push, but damn close enough to signal how serious the Pacers and Magic were about winning sooner rather than later. The NBA is a better place when that mindset prevails. It’d be cool if the Pistons agreed," Pina wrote.
It's an interesting comparison because while neither Siakam nor Bane are considered among the best players in the NBA, they are still excellent players who are or can be gamechangers on teams vying for a title. While Siakam isn't the Indiana Pacers' best player, look at how far they've gone since they acquired him.
With the Pacers and Boston Celtics down for the count, the Magic promptly traded for Bane believing it can vault them back into the NBA Finals. The Pistons would likely have the same mindset if they tried to do the same with Markkanen.
What the Jazz would learn from this comparison
While the Pacers and Magic added Siakam and Bane respectively believing they were the last piece of a title team, keep in mind that Indiana did not have to give up much for Siakam while the Magic gave up a lot for Bane because the former was on an expiring deal and the latter had plenty of years remaining on his contract.
The Jazz have Markkanen for four years, meaning they have plenty of time to figure out if they should keep him on their next playoff team or if they are better off selling high while they can. Toronto waited too long and sold low on Siakam while Memphis believed it was time for a change while they could still get a good package for him.
While Markkanen will be floated in trade rumors, don't be surprised if Utah has no interest in trading him this season, but don't be surprised if they start weighing their options this coming June.