Closure on Lauri Markkanen Decision Coming Soon per ESPN

Utah Jazz fans have been patient this summer.

Mar 27, 2024; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen (23) brings the ball up the court against the San Antonio Spurs during the first quarter at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-USA TODAY Sports / Rob Gray-USA TODAY Sports

Utah Jazz fans can mark August 6th as the date on which answers should come on the Lauri Markkanen front. This is the deadline by which Utah can extend its best player while also making him trade-eligible at the deadline. At that point, we'll see how serious the Golden State Warriors are about obtaining Markkanen.

According to ESPN NBA writer Kevin Pelton, if the Jazz don't re-sign Markkanen, Salt Lake City could be the landing spot for some bad contracts moving forward. Pelton dished the dose of reality in a piece that ESPN published on Wednesday.

"All eyes are on Utah through Aug. 6, the first day the Jazz can renegotiate Lauri Markkanen's contract in conjunction with a long-term extension. It is also the last day Utah can make that move and have Markkanen be trade eligible at the deadline. As a result, consider that date the deadline for a decision on a possible Markkanen trade. If the Jazz don't use the bulk of their $35 million in cap space on renegotiating Markkanen's contract, they suddenly become the prime destination for teams looking to shed salary, which could net Utah even more draft picks.

Most likely, a new contract gets hammered out, but if it doesn't, expect the Jazz to tank the 2024-25 season in ways we've never seen before. Any Jazz veteran on a reasonable contract could be moved for a bad contract and draft compensation. Players that come to mind are Collin Sexton and Walker Kessler.

Also, signing Markkanen to an extension doesn't guarantee he won't be traded. In fact, getting an extension done may be what's holding up an exchange up to this point. However, if the reports are correct on what Jazz CEO Danny Ainge wants in return in an exchange, the safer bet is the third year Jazzman will be playing in Salt Lake City this season.

The Warriors remain the favorite to acquire Markkanen. If you believe the reports, the holdup is the Warriors' willingness to part ways with Brandin Podziemski. The second-year pro averaged 9.1 points per game as a rookie but should get more court time in his sophomore season, considering Klay Thompson is no longer a Warrior.

There's a lot of moving parts on this one and how the Jazz decide to play it will have huge implications on their future. With the 2025 draft class being projected to be stacked with talent, the Jazz could certainly choose to move into a different direction without Markkanen.

From this point of view, I believe it's in Utah's best interest to keep Markkanen and trade other pieces to maximize its draft position. At this stage, it's a guessing game, but it does sound like if the Warriors are willing to meet Ainge's demands, then a deal will be done. However, Ainge's asking price appears to be too steep.

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