Getty Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr.
The Golden State Warriors won’t be the next home for Paul George, which has led the franchise to shift its gaze to a former All-Star one talent tier below the former Clippers forward.
Brian Windhorst of ESPN has reported that the Dubs are now prioritizing a deal for Lauri Markkanen of the Utah Jazz.
“The Warriors really tried hard to figure out a Paul George trade, and they’re trying hard on some other things, and we’ll see what they can maybe get accomplished in the next 24 to 48 hours,” Windhorst said on the “Brian Windhorst & The Hoop Collective” podcast that posted on Monday, July 1. “I think Lauri Markkanen from the Jazz is available on the trade market. [The Warriors] are definitely investigating that.”
Warriors Will Have to Pay Huge Price in Trade With Jazz for Lauri Markkanen
GettyLauri Markkanen of the Utah Jazz plays against the Golden State Warriors.
The cost to Golden State for a player like Markkanen will be steep, particularly considering that former Boston Celtics general manager Danny Ainge is now running the show in Utah, and he has long had a reputation as one of the toughest traders in the league.
“Markkanen is not gonna be traded for any sort of discounts, just to be clear,” Windhorst’s co-host Tim McMahon said.
Ainge traded star defensive center Rudy Gobert from the Jazz to the Minnesota Timberwolves in July 2022 for four first-round picks, a first-round swap and a handful of players including center Walker Kessler, who the Wolves selected with the 22nd pick in the first round in 2022. In essence then, Utah got back five firsts and a swap for Gobert, along with several other established NBA players, per NBA.com.
Markkanen may not cost quite that much, but Ainge is certain to push for a massive return that will handcuff the Warriors’ future well beyond the end of Stephen Curry’s career. Curry is 36 years old and under contract in Golden State for the next two seasons.
Competition for Markkanen’s services could also drive the price up for the Warriors. Windhorst noted multiple teams he’d spoken with who are currently in discussions with Utah pertaining to Markkanen, while McMahon mentioned the San Antonio Spurs specifically as a potential trade partner.
Lauri Markkanen Has Been Highly Productive Over Last 2 Years, Has Struggled With Injuries
GettyLauri Markkanen of the Utah Jazz.
Markkanen is under contract for just one more season at the cost of a little more than $18 million in 2024-25. He signed a four-year deal worth $67.5 million with the Cleveland Cavaliers in August 2021 before the Cavs traded him to Utah in September 2022.
Markkanen, an All-Star in 2022-23 when he averaged a career-high 25.6 points per game, put up 23.2 points, 8.2 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 0.9 steals in Utah last season, per Basketball Reference.
He was also a quality shooter from deep, connecting on 39.9% of his 3-point tries on 8.0 attempts per contest. Markkanen has struggled with injury issues throughout his seven-year NBA career, appearing in 55 or fewer regular-season games four times and never playing more than 68 games in a single campaign.