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The Golden State Warriors‘ aggressive pursuit of a new Stephen Curry co-star is facing some challenges.
According to Tony Jones of The Athletic, the Warriors have a substantial offer for one-time All-Star Lauri Markkanen.
But it might not be enough.
“Golden State has an offer on the table and it’s substantial [for Lauri Markkanen]. I think offers are heavily pick-based… What complicates it is the Warriors only have two unprotected picks, plus a protected first-rounder,” Jones said on 95.7 The Game on July 5.
Jones said the Warriors are competing with the Sacramento Kings and San Antonio Spurs. The Miami Heat are also interested, according to ESPN’s Zach Lowe.
The Warriors are only limited to two unprotected picks (2025 and 2027 or 2026 and 2028) and a protected pick in 2030. Since they already owe the Washington Wizards their 2030 first-round pick if it falls outside the top 20 (in the Chris Paul trade), the Warriors can add that pick to their offer to the Jazz if it falls inside the top 20.
More Complications on a Potential Lauri Markkanen Trade
The Jazz are mulling their offers but they are believed to be waiting for a godfather offer that will blow them away, similar to Mikal Bridges haul the Brooklyn Nets received from the New York Knicks.
However, NBA insider Marc Stein noted in his July 5 Substack newsletter the difference between the Jazz and the Nets’ circumstances with Bridges and Markkanen.
“More than one rival team has shared the observation that it would be difficult for the Jazz to trade him in the short term — even if they wanted to — because Markkanen is entering the final season of his current contract at a mere $18 million. It obviously complicates Jazz’s efforts to get a trade package in return for Markkanen on the level of Brooklyn’s haul for Mikal Bridges when Markkanen is not under team control for more than a season and when his salary is relatively low. They have a much better chance to command a Bridges-style offer filled with future draft picks like New York agreed to furnish the Nets if Markkanen, 27, is signed to an extension,” Stein wrote.
It behooves the Jazz to extend Markkanen. But there’s one wrinkle though. They have to wait until August 6. And once they do that, Markkanen cannot be traded for six months.
“Next season’s trade deadline is Feb. 6 — eight days before All-Star Weekend (Feb. 14-16) begins in San Francisco,” Stein wrote.
“Translation: It appears, after checking with the league office, that Markkanen would be eligible to be traded for only one day next season — on February 6 and February 6 alone — if an extension is hashed out immediately with the Jazz on August 6. If an extension happens August 7 or later, Markkanen won’t be eligible to be traded until after the 2024-25 season,” Stein explained.
Warriors Cannot Afford to Waste Another Year
Curry is not getting any younger. He’s 36 and will enter his 16th NBA season.
The Warriors were active this offseason, replacing Chris Paul and Klay Thompson with D’Anthony Melton, Kyle Anderson and Buddy Hield.
Melton is a dogged defender, who can defend the opposing team’s guards while possessing decent playmaking and shotmaking. Anderson is a Swiss-knife army whose versatility and high basketball IQ helped the Minnesota Timberwolves turnaround over the last two seasons. A 40% 3-point shooter in his career, Hield will replace Thompson’s outside shooting.
Yet despite their addition, the Warriors still lack a secondary elite playmaker that can ease Curry’s burden.
That is why they have been aggressively pursuing Markkanen.
“I think if you put [Markkannen] with Golden State, you’re making [the Warriors] a title contender for the next two to three years, Jones said on Sactown Sports 1140 on July 3. “Because you look at the movement in that offense and you look at the gravity that Stephen Curry has, if you look at Lauri Markkanen, you know he’s gonna get a ton of open looks.”
The 27-year-old Markkanen is just entering his prime. He followed up his Most Improved Player and All-Star season in 2022-2023 with 23.2 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game last season.
The Finnish big man is a volume 3-point shooter, who is a career 37.5% shooter on 6.6 attempts.
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