NBA Trade Rumors: Jazz's Lauri Markkanen Focus of 'Palpable Curiosity' at Deadline

As the Utah Jazz continue to hover near the bottom of the Western Conference standings, their approach leading up to the trade deadline will be of interest to many teams around the NBA.

Per NBA insider Marc Stein on his Substack, Lauri Markkanen is the subject of "palpable curiosity" for opposing teams looking to make a move.

"While there has been no tangible evidence that Utah's stance on Markkanen has changed," Stein wrote, "there is a rising belief heading into Showcase that a team or two out there is actively planning to test Utah's resolve this season by making an offer for the Finnish power forward."

Yahoo Sports' Jake Fischer also wrote about Markkanen as a "fascinating, albeit unlikely trade candidate" this season:

"The Jazz are by no means expected to trade the 7-foot sharpshooter at this juncture. He's been a true favorite of Jazz officials, sources said. But Utah has indeed left opposing executives with the sense that Markkanen is no longer untouchable in trade conversations, league sources told Yahoo Sports, a tangible change from previous transaction windows. Markkanen will be eligible to negotiate and extend his current contract before its final season begins in 2024-25."

One general manager told Fischer they aren't expecting Markkanen to be moved, but "they are saying they're willing to listen" if anyone wants to meet whatever their asking price for him is going to be.

After trading Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert in the summer of 2022 to jumpstart a rebuild, the Jazz were one of the NBA's most pleasant surprises out of the gate in the 2022-23 season.

Since that 10-3 start, though, the Jazz have completely cratered. They are 36-58 in the last 94 games, with 16 losses in their first 25 games this season.

Markkanen is one of the few bright spots in Utah, but his contract also makes him one of the most desirable trade targets for teams in playoff contention.

The 26-year-old is making $17.3 million this season with a $6 million partial guarantee for 2024-25 that becomes fully guaranteed for $18.04 million if he's on a roster either one day after the 2024 NBA draft or two days before the start of the free-agent moratorium period, depending on which date is later.

Markkanen has maintained the high level of play that made him an All-Star last season. He's averaging 23.7 points on 48.7 percent shooting (39.0 percent from three-point range) and 8.6 rebounds per game in 16 starts.

Jazz CEO of basketball operations Danny Ainge isn't afraid to be aggressive in trades, especially if he can get future assets that can be used to build a roster. There's no reason for him to not explore the market for Markkanen given his contract and where the team is at right now.

Utah already has seven future first-round picks from the Cleveland Cavaliers and Minnesota Timberwolves stemming from the Mitchell and Gobert trades. Markkanen is good enough to potentially net the team at least one more if he gets moved before the Feb. 8 trade deadline.