NBA Mock Trade: Lauri Markkanen Acquired by Western Conference Riser via Consolidation Trade

Facing a roster crunch, the OKC Thunder swing for the fences on an Utah Jazz rising star for an immediate boost.

It’s no secret that the Thunder’s active roster was carrying 21 standard contracts prior to today. But with news breaking on Wednesday night that the front office is waiving Rudy Gay, the current total now stands at 20.

Per NBA rules, the Thunder will have to find a way to trim that number down to 15 before the start of the 2023-24 regular season. But with the back-end of the roster brimming with potential, it doesn’t look like an easy process to navigate.

Just check out some of the players that might not make the cut:

• Aaron Wiggins
• Jeremiah Robinson-Earl
• Tre Mann
• Usman Garuba
• TyTy Washington, Jr.
• Davis Bertans
• Victor Oladipo

It's hard to predict how Oklahoma City will handle their roster problems. But it's likely that the Thunder will trade at least one of those players this summer to get more for their money, rather than just letting them walk for nothing.

And what if the easiest way for the front office to solve this puzzle is by making a bigger splash in the trade market? What if there was another team that could use an injection of youthful talent to accelerate their rebuild?

And what if it makes a ton of sense for that team to trade their best player now?

Look no further than Utah Jazz’s star forward, Lauri Markkanen. Having just turned 26 in May, Markkanen fits the Thunder’s timeline just fine, as he’s just 14 months older than Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

The Finnish 7-footer is also fresh off of winning the Most Improved Player Award in 2022-23 after breaking out last season and averaging 25.6 points, 8.6 rebounds, and three 3-pointers on 64 percent true shooting.

The 2022-23 Kia NBA Most Improved Player Lauri Markkanen's #KiaMIP mixtape!@Kia pic.twitter.com/f2HklgNhUY

— NBA (@NBA) April 25, 2023

Markkanen's ability to shoot 3-pointers, make intelligent cuts, attack closeouts, and finish over defenses would likely be very effective in a starting lineup that features multiple playmakers. Playing him at the power forward position between Josh Giddey, Jalen Williams, and Chet Holmgren has success written all over it.

Nevertheless, Utah is likely to demand a very high price to part ways with their best player. And while Markkanen is probably a bit older than the Jazz would prefer for a rebuilding team, it is difficult to imagine that this alone would be enough to motivate a trade anytime soon.

But Utah’s decision-makers could feel that now is the time to capitalize on Markkanen’s break-out season, especially if the price is right. Remember, it wasn’t that long ago that Markkanen was largely seen as an enigmatic prospect that might not become anything more than a solid role player.

To complicate matters, the Jazz also have a surplus of big men that play the same position as Markkanen after adding Taylor Hendricks with the ninth pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. They also now have John Collins, who was acquired in a trade with the Atlanta Hawks.

Utah bringing Hendricks and Collins into the fold could be a sign that they anticipate moving off of Markkanen.

Whatever the case, here’s what a potential trade between Oklahoma City and Utah could look like:

Thunder receives: Lauri Markkanen

Utah receives: Davis Bertans, Tre Mann, Aaron Wiggins, three first-round picks

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