Jazz Top-5 Pick Hinges on Lauri Markkanen Decision

The Utah Jazz is stuck between a rock and a hard place.

Mar 27, 2024; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen (23) spins to the basket against San Antonio Spurs guard Tre Jones (33) during the fourth quarter at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-USA TODAY Sports / Rob Gray-USA TODAY Sports

The chatter around the water cooler regarding the Utah Jazz continues to be about how they will approach the regular season. Is it going to be a tank job out of the gates, or can the Jazz duplicate what they did last year prior to the trade deadline and make a run at a playoff spot?

Either way, there are pros and cons, regardless of Utah's path. If the Jazz decide to tank the season, is it plausible to maximize their draft position if Lauri Markkanen is still on the roster? Not according to The Bleacher Report, which believes that Utah's hopes for a top-five pick hinge on whether they trade their best player.

"If he stays, the Jazz will probably be relatively competitive and end up picking toward the back of the lottery again. If he's moved, they should be in the hunt for the No. 1 pick."

A handful of NBA teams—the Brooklyn Nets, Washington Wizards, and Detroit Pistons—already have no intention of not winning games this season, which puts Utah in a difficult situation. The competition to maximize the odds to draft the No. 1 projected overall pick, Cooper Flagg, will be stiff.

In a draft where there's projected to be more than one face of the franchise level of talent, the small market Jazz needs something to bounce their way. However, one in the hand is worth two in the bush, and there's no guarantee that a top-5 pick would develop into the player that Markkanen is today.

The Cleveland Cavaliers and Minnesota Timberwolves are doing the Jazz no favors, either. The hauls obtained in the Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert trades are trending in the wrong direction. The Jazz have both first-round picks, but fans should expect those selections later in the first round.

This makes for an interesting couple of months before the new season begins. Next on Utah's agenda this offseason will be signing Markkanen to an extension. Markkanen will be eligible for another contract on August 6. If Utah does end up extending him, his trade value would be seen as more valuable without the possibility of him hitting the free agent market in the summer of 2025.

The Jazz can make an attempt to bottom out and keep Markkanen at the same time. Anybody who says that they can't just needs to look at the numbers from last year. When tanking became a priority, the Jazz went 1-8 when Markkanen suited up. These were all games that proceeded the All-Star break. If we're counting the whole season, the Jazz posted a 22-33 record when Markkanen played.

The Markkanen trade talks have appeared to have slowed down for the moment, but they could heat up once an extension is signed. The Golden State Warriors are the team to watch once that happens. Stay tuned.

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