Utaz Jazz acquire Lauri Markkanen from Cleveland Cavaliers

[mg]

I believe if Jazz can draft a real difference maker/potential superstar soon thru the draft they should try to keep Lauri longterm. He's a nice piece to have on a team. If this turns out to be a longer process where it takes at least several years to find difference makers thru the draft, the timeline will probably dictate he eventually gets dealt while he's still in his prime. He still has 3 years of team control on his contract so it's not a huge rush to make any decisions. He is 25 and entering his prime so the window is a little tighter on him than the younger kids they accumulated thru trade this summer.

[Jiipee84]

I believe if Jazz can draft a real difference maker/potential superstar soon thru the draft they should try to keep Lauri longterm. He's a nice piece to have on a team. If this turns out to be a longer process where it takes at least several years to find difference makers thru the draft, the timeline will probably dictate he eventually gets dealt while he's still in his prime. He still has 3 years of team control on his contract so it's not a huge rush to make any decisions. He is 25 and entering his prime so the window is a little tighter on him than the younger kids they accumulated thru trade this summer.

Yeah three years is long time.
But Markkanen has already seen one rebuild ( Bulls ) so 2 or 3 yrs repeating losing
can get very infuriating for Lauri to lose just because team is tanking and rebuilding.

I'm sure even Lauri wants to play in playoffs some point in his career so if it won't happen in Utah it happens somewhere else.
Nobody cannot say for sure what plans Utah Jazz has made or will made for Lauri.

Only which is set in stone is that nothing isn't 150% sure in NBA so anything can happen.

[Jiipee84]

I'm all in on keeping him on the team, Big who can shoot the 3. Yes.

I do get your point.
But if Utah Jazz's main goal really is to tank and acquire TOP2 lottery pick and draft Wembanyama
Jazz cannot win more than about 20-22 games this coming season because if they win too many games
then their chances to acquire TOP2 lottery pick will turn worse.

I've watched all Finland's games in Eurobasket tournament
so i can say that Jazz will be screwed up for 2023 NBA draft lottery if / when Markkanen keeps playing like this in NBA
what he's done in eurobasket.

Jazz do not have afford to take that risk their tanking for 2023 NBA draft suffers / struggles just because
Markkanen helped Jazz to win too many games which cost TOP2 lottery pick.

Then there's that possibility some playoff team loses their starting stretch four
to season ending injury jst few weeks / few days before trade deadline so tha team needs to find replacement and fast.
And who that team will target if Markkanen has played his best basketball and his PPG is lets say 22,0 per game
of course that team calls to Utah and asks is Markkanen available or not and if the Ainge's answer is YES
then Jazz have potential trade coming which brings back more draft capital to Jazz needs.

Keep in mind that Markkanen is coming to his prime very soon
so he doesn't necessarily fit longer term plans of Utah Jazz future.

Markkanen's contract is 16,7 million USD per season
so that type contract is easy to trade for draft capital and maybe some prospects also.
Of course Jazz shouldn't trade anybody just to make trades happen.

But lets get real in here.
Markkanen can play this coming in Utah but longer term he's only a season or two rental who gets traded again some point.

See i'm thinking two years miss playoffs then back. Quick rebuild and if I'm right Markkanen will be and nice key player in his prime. Coach can help control win losses then you hope your ball drops into top 3 back to back years and hit on a late pick. People are thinking to many years for rebuild. Sure if someone makes a great offer you'll have to make the deal.

All rebuild's aren't quick unfortuntely not even in NBA but someones are absolutely.
Of course It's possible Lauri stays in Utah next 3 yrs but is it likely maybe and maybe not.
I think we'll know better later season how things pan out in Utah and how Lauri fits into the team.
But even i can't denying that Wembanyama and Markkanen in same team would be exciting to see.

[Swuul]

One handed alley-oop dunk from yesterdays match.

[stitches]

Lauri has been great in FIBA Euro. I've been watching a few of his games. The Cavs used him as a 3/4 wing type... I wonder if he can hoid his own against wings on the defensive end wihtout needing great front court duo to cover for him. This might be low key the best piece we got in that trade.

BTW all of our other players at the European championship have been playing great - Fontecchio is leading scorer for Italy. Bojan is leading scorer for Croatia. I'm loving this tournament.

[Taikuri]

Lauri has been great in FIBA Euro. I've been watching a few of his games. The Cavs used him as a 3/4 wing type... I wonder if he can hoid his own against wings on the defensive end wihtout needing great front court duo to cover for him. This might be low key the best piece we got in that trade.

BTW all of our other players at the European championship have been playing great - Fontecchio is leading scorer for Italy. Bojan is leading scorer for Croatia. I'm loving this tournament.

And offensively Markkanen has scored point per minute pace.

There will be Bogdanovic vs Markkanen tomorrow as Finland and Croatia meet in the playoffs. They actually already played against each other this summer once, where Finland took the win.

[mg]

Lauri has been great in FIBA Euro. I've been watching a few of his games. The Cavs used him as a 3/4 wing type... I wonder if he can hoid his own against wings on the defensive end wihtout needing great front court duo to cover for him. This might be low key the best piece we got in that trade.

BTW all of our other players at the European championship have been playing great - Fontecchio is leading scorer for Italy. Bojan is leading scorer for Croatia. I'm loving this tournament.

That is the big question surrounding Lauri as an NBA player. He looked like a different player with Allen/Mobley covering for him defensively than he did in Chicago. Actually Rudy would've been a perfect frontcourt mate for him. If they kept Rudy/Royce and made the trade for the Cleveland players (Lauri, Sexton, Agbaji) they still potentially could have won a bunch of games, at least in the regular season.

[Foliohattu]

Lauri just hade a huge game against Croatia, knocking Croatia out and leading Finland to top-8 for the first time in 55 years in international competition.
Just totally dominated the game.

[Taikuri]

Lauri just hade a huge game against Croatia, knocking Croatia out and leading Finland to top-8 for the first time in 55 years in international competition.
Just totally dominated the game.

He absolutely did! In the NBA he isn't the level of Giannis, Luka and Jokic, but in this Eurobasket he has been at their level. Finland is minimum top-8 in the tournament now and Spain is beatable. It's not the same old Spain anymore. Favorite Spain, the same way Croatia was the favorite against Finland.

[stitches]

LAURI!

[stitches]

Watch on YouTube

[FJS]

The guy is playing like a superstar in this Euro.

[Swuul]

The guy is playing like a superstar in this Euro.

He was tightly coached by Cavs this summer following the plan JBB&al made for him in April; more mobile, more ball-handling, faster on D. JBB even came to follow his practicing (and Team Finland games) for a couple weeks in August, and seemed quite extatic, telling how he planned to have Lauri next season bring the ball up in Cavs like Team Finland often have him to do. And then Lauri was traded from Cavs to Jazz. I am pretty sure JBB is less than happy to see Lauri go (I am 100% sure he is happy to have DM, but I am also quite sure he would have wanted to keep Lauri).

[red4hf]

I am very excited to have Lauri on the Jazz......

[PaKii94]

I'm hoping jazz let Lauri get some volume

[Jiipee84]

Even i've been critical on Lauri many times in here.
But it wasn't that's why he would be bad player it was that Lauri has all talents to be much more than spot-up shooter.
Wacthing Lauri's playing now in Eurobasket and see that how Team Finland uses him i'm truly started to understand
that it is coaches responsibility to put player in the situation where he can be usefull and good.

That what Lauri did agains't Croatia wasn't lucky fluke or some other optical illusion.
Lauri dominated the game and he was unstopable that's how he should play in NBA too because he truly can do that.
Spain is tough task in quarterfinal but as mentioned it is not that old Spain what they were 2-3 yrs ago.

So it is absolutely possible Finland defeats Spain
but still Finland needs to play their best game of tournament if they wanna advance to semifinals.
Who ever wins Tuesday's game Finland and Lauri have played fantastic Eurobasket tournament.

Watch on YouTube

[Jiipee84]

https://www.mtvuutiset.fi/artikkeli/lauri-markkasen-uskomattomat-otteet-herattivat-hurjaa-huhumyllya-agentti-myontaa-mtv-urheilulle-kun-nba-ssa-alkaa-tienata-tietyn-maaran-rahaa/8511552#gs.c6pkj0

Markkanen doing huge impact in Eurobasket.
Unfortunately my computer skills aren't enough good to translate this but maybe someone else Finn can do that.
However mention in end of that article tells that if rumors are true Utah Jazz might consider trading Lauri Markkanen.
In early speculations Boston Celtics and Miami Heat have showed interest on Lauri.

Celtics needs to find replacement for Danilo Gallinari
who's out of most 2022-2023 NBA season due to serious knee injury ( probably torn ACL )

Celtics head coach Brad Stevens has seen in Berlin and he was watching Finland vs Croatia game.
His face ended up Finnish national TV company's YLE live broadcast when camera staff screened cameras on the crowd.
But which one he was watching because there's 2 options ( Lauri and Bojan Bogdanovic ) for possible trade if it really happens.

So if the rumors are true and Jazz gets trade offer for Lauri and team who makes that offer really is Celtics
what would be that price where Jazz are ready pull the trigger and trade Lauri or Bogdanovic on Boston.
Think about that.

[red4hf]

Boston has Derrick White or Marcus Smart, those are the players they could trade straight up for Lauri...... Neither one makes sense for the Jazz, so you'd need a third team......

Miami has Duncan Robinson or a combo of Martin/Oladipo, again doesn't make sense for the Jazz, unless a couple of picks are coming back with Robinson......

So, I don't think Lauri is going anywhere......

[Crunch 99]

It would be great to see Finland with Markannen get the win over legendary Spain to get an unlikely, new country in to the semi-finals. I think the game starts in one hour and 15 minutes. Draft Kings has Spain favored by 6 points.

[Jiipee84]

Boston has Derrick White or Marcus Smart, those are the players they could trade straight up for Lauri...... Neither one makes sense for the Jazz, so you'd need a third team......

Miami has Duncan Robinson or a combo of Martin/Oladipo, again doesn't make sense for the Jazz, unless a couple of picks are coming back with Robinson......

So, I don't think Lauri is going anywhere......

That's true.
That's why it would be smarter for Jazz to boost Lauri's trade value so much as possible
to allow him to play that same game what Lauri has played in Eurobasket and trade him into deadline
if some playoff team makes enough good trade offer.

Other option is to trade Lauri in draft night especially then if Lauri has played good or very good season in Utah.
Jazz shouldn't hurry to make any trades ( not even Bogdanovic ) before Ainge and his management staff has done total evaluation
on those players who are keepers and who are trade baits.

When you're rebuilding you have to rebuild wisely
so don't hurry any moves before you know better what you need and what you don't need.
Rebuild shouldn't be a sprint it should be a marathon so take time so much as you need and when total evalution process has done
then do the moves and trades which are crucial and absolutely needed.