Inside The Warriors

New Report on Warriors' Trade Offer for Lauri Markkanen

The Golden State Warriors are reportedly not offering Jonathan Kuminga to the Utah Jazz

Joey Linn

Dec 28, 2022; San Francisco, California, USA; Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen (23) reacts after drawing a foul against the Golden State Warriors during the first half at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: John Hefti-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 28, 2022; San Francisco, California, USA; Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen (23) reacts after drawing a foul against the Golden State Warriors during the first half at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: John Hefti-USA TODAY Sports / John Hefti-USA TODAY Sports
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It has been reported for months that the Utah Jazz are not actively shopping star forward Lauri Markkanen. While Utah seems more than content keeping Markkanen around, they also understand the sizable offers many teams would be willing to part with in order to land him, making a trade something that cannot be entirely ruled out.

In a recent article from Tony Jones of The Athletic, it was reported that the Golden State Warriors are among the teams interested in Markkanen, but they are not expected to offer Jonathan Kuminga.

"Jazz also know that many of the teams attempting to convince them to trade Markkanen are attempting to add to their core, and not subtract. So, Golden State is not going to offer Jonathan Kuminga," Jones wrote. "The Kings won’t offer Murray. If the Oklahoma City Thunder call, they aren’t offering Jalen Williams. Many of the offers the Jazz have on the table are pick heavy. But if the Jazz trade Markkanen to anyone, they are likely making that team quite a bit better. So, how good will those picks ultimately be? That’s a question the Jazz have to answer."

Based on this report, it seems Golden State could beat most offers for Markkanen if they included Kuminga, assuming their collection of draft assets was similar to what other teams are offering. That said, the Warriors have now kept Kuminga out of multiple potential deals that would have landed Steph Curry a bonafide second option, indicated the organization is unlikely to pivot from that stance.

Kuminga is coming off the best season of his career, but it would still require a significant leap from the young forward in order for him to be on the level of other co-stars in just the Western Conference alone. And that doesn't even account for the underwhelming roster Golden State has outside of Curry and Kuminga.

For example, the Western Conference champion Dallas Mavericks have Kyrie Irving alongside Luka Doncic. The Denver Nuggets have Jamal Murray and an elite supporting cast next to Nikola Jokic. The Minnesota Timberwolves have Karl Anthony-Towns and Rudy Gobert surrounding Anthony Edwards. The Oklahoma City Thunder finished first in the Western Conference last season, and have won the offseason so far in the eyes of many.

After missing the playoffs, Golden State waived Chris Paul's $30M salary they were expected to use in a trade, lost Klay Thompson to the Mavericks in exchange for second round picks, and signed De'Anthony Melton.

When going up and down the Western Conference, Golden State is far from contention even if Kuminga makes a star leap next season. This is why how the Warriors approach the remainder of this transaction period will speak volumes about how they truly value the final years of Curry's superstardom.

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Joey Linn

JOEY LINN

Title: Credentialed writer covering the NBA for Sports Illustrated's FanNation Email: joeylinn52@gmail.com Education: Communication Studies degree from Biola University Location: Los Angeles, California Expertise: NBA analysis and reporting Experience: Joey Linn is a credentialed writer covering the NBA for Sports Illustrated's FanNation. Covering the LA Clippers independently in 2018, then for Fansided and 213Hoops from 2019-2021, Joey joined Sports Illustrated's FanNation to cover the Clippers after the 2020-21 season. Graduating from Biola University in 2022 with a Communication Studies degree, Joey served as Biola's play-by-play announcer for their basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer teams during his time in school. Joey's work on Biola's broadcasts, combined with his excellence in the classroom, earned him the Outstanding Communication Studies Student of the year award in 2022. Joey covers the NBA full-time across multiple platforms, primarily serving as a credentialed Clippers beat writer.

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