Jazz Can Keep Lauri Markkanen & Land Cooper Flagg per New Proposal

The Utah Jazz can have their cake and eat it too.

Mar 25, 2024; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen warms up before the game against the Dallas Mavericks at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-USA TODAY Sports / Rob Gray-USA TODAY Sports

Most offseason chatter regarding the Utah Jazz has centered around Lauri Markkanen. Trading their best player would all but assure the Jazz a top-5 pick in what’s projected to be a loaded 2025 draft class led by the University of Duke’s Cooper Flagg. 

However, is it plausible that Utah can still keep Markkanen while at the same time maximizing its odds of obtaining Flagg? Let’s examine. 

Trade Collin Sexton & Walker Kessler

The rumors of John Collins and Jordan Clarkson being on the trade block have been consistent this offseason. The problem is that both players are on deals that aren’t considered team-friendly, and moving them isn’t that simple. This isn't the case with Sexton and Kessler.

In fact, it’s been rumored that Utah turned down two first-round picks from the New York Knicks for Kessler this offseason. If Utah is committed to maximizing its draft position in 2025, trading Kessler or Sexton wouldn’t be difficult. 

Sexton's contract expires after the 2026 season. If he’s in Utah’s long-term plans, then so be it. If he’s not, it might be wise to move on before the 2024-25 season starts. 

Sexton was one of Utah’s brightest spots in 2024, and having him on the roster to start the season adds wins to the bottom line. Without Kessler’s rim protection, improving from being last in the league in defensive rating would also be difficult.

A Sexton and Kessler trade would create a path for rookies Isaiah Collier and Kyle Filipowski to be cemented in the rotation and get valuable live NBA reps while also racking up more losses.

Let the Foot Off the Gas Starting Game One

The Jazz already have proven that they can tank with Markkanen on the roster. They just need to put it in motion starting from day one rather than pivoting after the All-Star break. 

When the Jazz front office finally embraced the tank last season, the injury report all of a sudden became a thing for Head Coach Will Hardy's group. In the 26 games after the All-Star break, Markkanen missed a whopping 17 contests while Jordan Clarkson and Kris Dunn didn’t play in 17 and eight games, respectively. 

Being loose with the injury report will go a long way in piling up the losses for the tank crowd. There's no reason that trend can't start sooner rather than later if the end goal is a top-five pick.

The Jazz Can be a Bad Team When Markkanen Plays

Utah was losing games at an alariming rate with Markkanen on the roster late last season. In Markkanen's last 23 games of the season in which he played, the Jazz posted a 5-18 record. The numbers don't lie and where it stands today, the supporting cast he'll be working with isn't scaring anyone

These were games in which Utah had decided to tank the season, and there’s been nothing added to the roster this offseason to turn that trend around. Also, Markkanen has missed 26.2% of Utah’s games since arriving in Salt Lake City two seasons ago. Considering his injury history, expect the 'Finnisher' to be around that mark this season.

Bottom Line

From this point of view, the notion that Utah can’t lose enough games to bottom out with Markkanen never made sense. Lastly, the Jazz doesn't need to be the worst team in the league to maximize their chances of obtaining Flagg. 

The NBA has put parameters in place to discourage tanking, and it's worked. The last time a franchise was awarded the No. 1 pick with the worst record was in 2018 when the Phoenix Suns selected Deandre Ayton. Keep in mind that this was the draft in which Luka Doncic was taken at No. 3.  Just this past season, the Atlanta Hawks got the No. 1 pick by finishing the season with a 36-46 record. 

Unless there’s an unforeseen trade that upgrades the roster, losing games should be a priority in 2024-25. However, there’s more than one path to achieve that without trading your best player in his prime. 

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