NBA Mock Trade: Thunder Acquire Utah Jazz Forward Lauri Markkanen

Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen could be on the block should general manager Danny Ainge opt for a different approach to the season.

The Thunder have already proven this season they’re not a pushover, but at 4-5 with some of their wins being over questionable competition, it’s clear they’re a ways out from contention or even a Playoffs berth.

In order to iron out the kinks and tighten up, they’ll be looking to add players from trades via their unprecedented cache of draft picks.

Next season, they’ll have second overall selection Chet Holmgren, a new 2023 Draftee and more, and they could be looking to make a run. Adding a player now could get them just enough time to acclimate before general manager Sam Presti and the Thunder press the ‘Go’ button.

Lauri Markkanen has gotten off to an unbelievable start with the new-look Utah Jazz, averaging 21.8 points, 9.4 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game. At those averages, he’s one of the highest value players in the league on a contract through the 2024-25 season.

Markkanen hasn’t become officially available, and while the Jazz could continue to hang onto their pieces in hopes this roster can really make a splash, it still feels like a bit of a pipe dream to this point. Jazz general manager Danny Ainge was opting for a hard reset after trading their two stars, and while getting off to an 8-3 start is great, it’s probably not what he was hoping for.

If Ainge and the Jazz do look to offload more pieces in favor of racing for Victor Wembanayama, Scoot Henderson or another highly lauded prospect, the Thunder could be in the mix for Markkanen.

Here’s what a theoretical trade between the two teams could look like:

Oklahoma City Thunder get: Lauri Markkanen

Utah Jazz get: Tre Mann, Kenrich Williams, 2024 Thunder first round pick, 2024 Jazz First Round Pick

Markkanen has been great, but he hasn’t earned star status just yet. If you asked Ainge a few weeks ago, he’d be ecstatic with this return for Markkanen, which includes a rising prospect, a solid role player, and two first round selections with pretty unlimited ceilings.

Of course, OKC could tack on other selections, but leaving Ainge with some potential lottery picks, or even top five to ten picks should things fall their way, feels fair. Presti, in this scenario, would be banking on Oklahoma City being much better in 2024 than others anticipate. 

In all likelihood, Utah will feel out Markkanen for a good chuck of the season before deciding what to do with him. Eight games isn’t near enough sample size for the Jazz to ship him off or for any team to pull the trigger on the 25-year-old, but it’s worth a look, nonetheless.

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