NBA Rumors: Lauri Markkanen, Jazz to Talk Long-Term Contract Extension in Free Agency

The Utah Jazz are looking to retain forward Lauri Markkanen for the long haul, per Action Network's Matt Moore.

According to Moore, the Jazz and Markkanen will work on a long-term contract extension during free agency this summer. Markkanen is in the third year of a four-year, $67.47 million contract and he will be an unrestricted free agent in 2025. That being said, Markkanen is unlikely to be traded ahead of the Feb. 8 trade deadline.

"You can stop calling about Lauri Markkanen. It's not happening. Not yet, anyway," Moore wrote. "The Jazz and Markkanen will work on a long-term extension this summer and the most likely outcome is he stays with Utah on a max. But that's a summer question and there's no shot the Jazz trade Markkanen before the deadline."

Markkanen landed with the Jazz ahead of the 2022 season when he was dealt by the Cleveland Cavaliers in a trade involving Donovan Mitchell. Since joining the Jazz, he has bloomed into an All-Star level player, averaging 25.6 points and 8.6 rebounds per game in his first season with Utah and putting up similar numbers this year. The jump he made from his fifth season to his sixth earned him the Most Improved Player award for the 2022-23 season.

Now the clear leader of a young Utah team, Markkanen will be looking to ink what will likely be a max deal this summer.

The Jazz have defied expectations over the past two seasons since losing Mitchell and Rudy Gobert. While they missed the playoffs last year, they have put together a solid 22-22 season so far this year and sit in ninth place in the Western Conference.

If the Jazz can get Markkanen on board with an extension, the future will be bright in Utah.