Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen, a standout for Finland during the team’s run to the EuroBasket semifinals last month, sustained a left wrist contusion during the tournament that has sidelined him through training camp and the first part of the preseason.
However, the injury is considered a minor one, according to Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune, who writes that Markkanen has still been doing workouts, is dribbling with both hands, and isn’t wearing any sort of visible protection on the affected wrist.
“It’s more maintenance,” head coach Will Hardy explained. “I’m lucky that I got to see this in San Antonio a bunch when guys were playing EuroBasket. They just competed really hard for a month and laid it all on the line. It’s nothing that we’re concerned about, but it’s just some bumps and bruises that we want to manage in this moment as he’s coming off of that. There’s nothing to be concerned about at all.”
For his part, Markkanen said that he expects to be available for opening night, though he doesn’t know how much he’ll play in any of Utah’s remaining three preseason games on Friday, Monday, and next Thursday.
“I’m not sure what the exact date is when I’m going to start, but [I’ve] been doing rehab every day and working out and feeling better,” he said.
As Larsen observes, most of the speculation involving Markkanen as of late has been centered around the possibility of a trade, rather than his health. Writing about potential players to watch at this year’s trade deadline, Chris Mannix of SI.com said earlier this week that Markkanen is the name he hears “most frequently” when he talks to people around the league, adding that Utah is thought to be “very” open for business on the Finnish forward.
The Ringer’s Zach Lowe, meanwhile, said in a recent podcast that he has a hard time imagining a scenario in which Markkanen is still on Utah’s roster in a year. New Jazz president of basketball operations Austin Ainge pushed back on that prediction, according to Larsen.
“I don’t agree with that,” Ainge said. “And I love Zach, but look, (I’m a) huge fan of Lauri. Lauri’s awesome. He’s really good, and Lauri could and hopefully is part of our next team when we’re going up.”
Still, Ainge didn’t entirely rule out the possibility of a deal involving the 2023 All-Star.
“I joke that, obviously, no one is untradeable,” Ainge said. “If a trade came in for me, I would convince (Jazz owner) Ryan (Smith) to take it. You know, this is how it goes.”
Markkanen was considered a prime trade candidate during the 2024 offseason, but signed a renegotiated and extended contract last August that made him ineligible to be moved during the 2024/25 season. He’s trade-eligible again now, but has continued to express a desire to stick with the Jazz, stating this fall, “I love to be in Utah.” Nonetheless, he acknowledged that he expects the trade speculation to continue.
“The rumors (have) already started, but I don’t pay attention to that. Pretty much anybody can get traded in this league,” Markkanen said, per Larsen. “So you just play to the best of your abilities, and enjoy the practices and games and time I get to spend in this facility and with these guys. And if something happens, then we adjust.”
According to Larsen, when the Jazz have received inquiries on Markkanen in the past, they’ve sought multiple draft picks and quality young players, but haven’t gotten a compelling offer that included both.
Ainge blew it not trading him that first year in utah. It was obviously fools gold
Markkanen’s tenure in Utah may play out as THE definitive case of payroll mismanagement in the history of the modern CBA.
Danny Ainge could have traded Markkanen summer for a huge haul at the end of year 2 of the Jazz’ rebuild. Instead, Ainge gave Markkanen a 5-year superstar contract that, for this rebuilding team, will look more embarassing by the year.
Markkanen now has 4 years, almost $200M left on his deal. But nobody wants to pay Lauri Markkanen $50M/year. He’s an over-average player making a superstar salary. A #3 guy on a contending team. He’s now officially a “negative contract”. This year’s Zach Lavine.
If Markkanen has another mediocre season like 2024-25, there won’t be any more talk of trading him for a “draft haul”. The Ainges may need to package their own draft capital with Markkanen next summer to move his $50M/yr deal.
The Jazz have the cleanest cap in the NBA. They don’t have any other player with a cap hit that reaches 10 million next year and they will almost certainly need Lauri and his salary to reach the cap FLOOR next season.
This is the reality in small markets like Utah, you have to overpay to keep your talent around. Chicago is not a small market and this is not the same situation as LaVine. And the way front offices, egos and optics work, whoever the Jazz received in the Mitchell trade was always going to be extended to organizationally justify the move.
Druuu,
We’re I disagree on our last debate you are correct. Only better option they had was doing 4 years if they could have. Although I can’t stand the tanking ( and don’t think it should be rewarded) they won’t have to give another contract out until 4 years from now. You are correct Utah can’t attract free agents unless they over pay or are contenders.
@buyingbuckets
It no longer matters Utah can’t attract free agents.
This CBA makes it so free agents signi with their own team. Players move in sign and trades. Watch Giannis.
In other words NO TEAM can use free agents to make a big jump.
Yes you can. Your not signing stars but gule players and role players. No Middle prime role player is going to Utah except for the bag or if they are a contender. Those are facts. Every championship team has free agents signed their 6th man or 4/5 starter. OKC just did this last year with hardenstein.
@Druuu, You are right about the role of egos and optics in all of this.
… but, respectfully, giving a veteran player that’s 5 years ahead of rebuild timeline a 5 year mega-deal is not the right way for a rebuilding team to meet minimum cap requirements. It violates a cardinal rule in rebuilding.
A rebuilding team uses available cap space to acquire draft picks in exchange for taking short-lived bad “negative” contracts of unwanted veteran players. A rebuilding team can turn these bad contracts over every year or two, using the same empty space to gain still more draft picks. (See OKC or Detroit over the last 2 seasons.)
The Jazz could have flipped Markkanen for a huge haul immediately before signing him to their long-term deal — 3 firsts, pick swaps, young talent, etc Not only did signing Markkaanen cost the Jazz those picks, it also prevents them for the next 5 years from using that ~$50M/yr of cap space to acquire draft capital in exchange for bad contracts.
Only ego prevented Ainge from parting with Markkanen. The terms for that kind of deal had been set by the market, but he needed a bigger public conquest.
Kuminga gunna be in Utah in January then, lmao
With 82 games do we really need more than 1-2 preseason games where stars aren’t playing anyway.
With Jazz what’s the difference between preseason and regular season games?
They’re all exhibition games.
@DaveyJ,
If the Warriors want Markkanen this January, which of these do you like:
1) Kuminga, Moody, Buddy + Horford would match Markkanen’s $48M.
2) Markkanen + 2 “mid” recent Utah draft picks would match Jimmy’s $57M.