Lauri Markkanen

Warriors Rumors: George, Markkanen, Towns, Expectations

October 22nd, 2024 at 3:26pm CST by Luke Adams

Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr., who spent a year as teammates with Paul George in Indiana in 2010/11, “led the charge” in the team’s efforts to acquire the star forward from the Clippers in June before George declined his player option and became a free agent this summer, according to Anthony Slater of The Athletic.

As Slater outlines, Dunleavy got Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and head coach Steve Kerr involved in the recruitment of George, who was on board with the idea of picking up his player option and getting traded to Golden State. However, the Clippers decided they’d be better off not taking on significant salary in a trade with the Warriors.

“Paul George wanted to come here,” Green said. “So shout out to Mike. The Clippers just wouldn’t do (an opt-in and trade).”

There’s still some “fading frustration” within the organization about the failed pursuit of George, according to Slater, who says the Warriors may argue the Clippers underestimated their chances of losing the forward for nothing in free agency.

While Golden State’s subsequent pursuit of Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen was viewed as a Plan B after missing out on George, Slater says it was actually part of Plan A and that the Warriors initially wanted to land both players.

“The conversation was always about that possibility,” Green said. “You get both of those guys, you make a huge splash. But the Clippers weren’t really willing to play ball. Then (Jazz CEO) Danny Ainge was being Danny Ainge.”

The Warriors had hoped they’d be able to acquire George while preserving enough assets to meet Ainge’s asking price for Markkanen, Slater explains. They still talked to Utah about Markkanen after striking out on PG13, but at that point Dunleavy felt it wasn’t the right move for the team to go all-in for the Jazz forward.

“Mike is very sensible,” Kerr said. “He just said to me, ‘It doesn’t make sense to sell your entire future for a team that you think can be pretty good, but isn’t awesome, right?’ Especially at this stage with the ages of our stars.”

Here’s more out of Golden State:

The Warriors also spoke to the Timberwolves about a possible Karl-Anthony Towns trade before he was dealt from Minnesota to New York, league sources tell Slater. However, the Wolves targeted a specific Knicks package that the Warriors couldn’t replicate.
Despite striking out on top trade targets this summer, the Warriors are high on the players they added – Kyle Anderson, Buddy Hield, and De’Anthony Melton – and are more bullish than outsiders about their chances this season. According to Slater, the Warriors’ internal models have them in the top six in the West and there has been talk within the organization that 50-plus wins should be the expectation.
Still, that doesn’t mean the Warriors won’t continue to keep an eye out for a chance to acquire an impact player who could help take them to the next level. “We’re sitting about as good as we could, subject to the point that we didn’t catch the big fish that we were going after,” team owner Joe Lacob told Slater. “But that doesn’t mean we won’t. It just means we didn’t yet.”
Dunleavy told reporters on Tuesday that the Warriors aren’t concerned about not having reached an agreement on a contract extension for Jonathan Kuminga before Monday’s deadline, per Kendra Andrews of ESPN (Twitter link). “Not much has changed in regards to our hopes for his future with this team,” Dunleavy said. “Sometimes these things get done, sometimes they don’t. … Hope to get something done in the offseason.”

Jazz Notes: Markkanen, George, Collier, Williams

October 14th, 2024 at 10:46pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Lauri Markkanen‘s contract situation was a major story during the offseason. Markkanen and the Jazz chose to renegotiate and extend his contract for four seasons. In addition to having his salary for this season bumped from $18MM to $42MM, Markkanen tacked on another $196MM across four new years.

He told Marc Stein in a Subtack interview that he was relieved to get that done, rather than having increased uncertainty over his future, along with the possibility of being traded.

“Obviously I wasn’t a free agent, but it was more I had the ability to do the contract and kind of had the choice,” he said. “I don’t have to do it, but that was something I wanted to get done to stay with the team.”

The Warriors were prominently mentioned as a possible destination and Markkanen took the trade interest from other teams as a positive. “I think [it means] you’ve done things right — that teams want you. … I was able to kind of zone it out and really wait for my agent for what’s real,” he said.

We have more on the Jazz:

Markkanen doesn’t want his All-Star appearance to be a one-shot deal, he told Grant Afseth of Sportskeeda.com. “You don’t want to just be a one-time All Star. The goal is always to improve and show the new things you’ve been working on in your game,” he said. “I’m always trying to take that next step in my development, but it all starts with team success. Everything else comes from there.”
Keyonte George underwent an MRI on his left knee and the results were negative, Andy Larsen of the Salt Lake Tribune tweets. George has resumed on-court activities and is expected to be available for the team’s game against Sacramento on Tuesday. Isaiah Collier also underwent an MRI that revealed a right hamstring strain. He will be reevaluated in 10 days. Collier was the 29th pick of the draft.
Lottery pick Cody Williams had his best outing of the preseason on Saturday, Larsen notes. Williams scored 17 against San Antonio after contributing a total of 13 points in the previous three preseason games. He added five rebounds and two assists in 29 minutes.

Northwest Notes: Murray, Jokic, Jazz, A. Mitchell

October 5th, 2024 at 8:49pm CST by Arthur Hill

Nuggets head coach Michael Malone tried to calm speculation about Jamal Murray‘s physical condition, telling reporters in Abu Dhabi that his star point guard hasn’t experienced any issues since training camp opened, writes Bennett Durando of The Denver Post. Murray’s subpar performance in last season’s playoffs and the Olympics led to suggestions that he might be dealing with an undisclosed injury.

“Knock on wood,” Malone said. “I have seen a healthy Jamal Murray. I’ve seen a guy that, as you pointed to that play, (has been) explosive. Making plays. And that’s always a micro-goal of any game that you go into during the preseason, is making sure you have player health.”

Murray only played 15 minutes in Friday’s exhibition game as Malone used 18 players. His most notable moment came when he dove for a loose ball, which Durando sees as a sign that he’s not nursing an injury. Murray’s long-term health is more important than ever after he signed a four-year max extension last month.

“You read reports from around the league and you see different players having some of those soft tissue injuries, which can linger for a long time,” Malone said. “Like Peyton Watson (hamstring) is dealing with right now. But right now it appears to me that Jamal is in a really good place mentally (and) physically. And I know that bodes well for us.”

There’s more from the Northwest Division:

Nuggets center Nikola Jokic isn’t concerned that playing in the Olympics will affect his performance this season, Eurohoops relays. Jokic pointed out to reporters that he was fine after representing Serbia in the 2022 Eurobasket tournament. “Last time I played for the national team, we won a championship,” he said. “Maybe that means something, maybe it doesn’t. Most players say a summer tournament helps you stay in shape. I’m not sure if that’s true, but I had a great time and feel I improved. Whether it affects my current basketball or not, who knows.”
Jazz coach Will Hardy will experiment with lineup combinations throughout the preseason, so the starting five of Keyonte George, Collin Sexton, Taylor Hendricks, Lauri Markkanen and Walker Kessler that he used Friday against New Zealand could change by opening night, per Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune. Hardy likes how Hendricks, a 2023 lottery pick, looks alongside Markkanen. “It allowed Lauri to guard more of the four, and Taylor to guard more of a perimeter player,” Hardy said. “I thought offensively, they fit decently, but we’ll have to monitor that as the preseason goes.”
Thunder coach Mark Daigneault singled out second-round pick Ajay Mitchell as someone who has made a strong impression in training camp (video link from Derek Parker of Draft Digest).

Lauri Markkanen Happy To Remain With Jazz

September 30th, 2024 at 8:02am CST by Arthur Hill

Lauri Markkanen‘s offseason fate seemed uncertain all the way up to August 7, when he renegotiated and extended his contract with the Jazz, adding $220MM in new money to the deal, which now runs through the 2028/29 season. Markkanen was the subject of endless speculation before his decision became final, but he tells Tony Jones of The Athletic that he tried to ignore the rumors.

“I think it’s fair to say that I saw the stuff online, but I tried very hard not to pay attention to it. I’m a big believer in what the front office and the coaching staff are doing,” Markkanen said. “I think it’s the people we have around and the environment we have. We have a group of guys that want to get better. I’ve embraced the leadership role, and my family truly enjoys Utah. We have enjoyed our two years here.”

Markkanen purposefully waited to sign his new deal until the point where he can’t be traded this season. The renegotiation means he won’t become trade eligible for six months, and the NBA’s trade deadline falls on February 6.

Utah is in the midst of a rebuilding process and is more likely to be contending for a top-five draft pick than a spot in the play-in tournament. That caused numerous teams to approach the Jazz with trade offers, hoping they might want to unload Markkanen and bottom out completely ahead of a loaded draft.

The Kings reportedly made “significant progress” toward a deal before talks feel apart in July. The Warriors also had serious discussions with Utah, as did the Spurs, who have been interested in acquiring Markkanen since he was a free agent in 2021.

Although any of those teams could offered Markkanen a faster path to the playoffs, he preferred to stay with the Jazz and help turn them around.

“It was a nice feeling to know that a lot of teams wanted you to play for their franchise,” he said. “It was kind of a cool thing to be honest. It tells me that I’ve been able to get a lot better as a player. But I tried not to think about it beyond that. I know that I wanted to come back to Utah, and that’s where my priorities were.”

Markkanen hopes to improve at handling the ball and making plays off the dribble this season, Jones adds. He also wants to become more of a leader for his young teammates, both vocally and with his on-court performance. No matter how many games the Jazz win, Markkanen sees this year as an important point toward building a long-term contender.

“I think it’s important to get game reps that you can’t simulate in practice,” he added. “I think that I can get a lot better, so I want to work on the things that I do well. I want to show these guys by example how to do the right things. I want to play the right way, especially with how coach (Will Hardy) wants us to play. I want to hold myself to a high standard.”

Details On Lauri Markkanen’s New Contract

August 7th, 2024 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

The official details on Lauri Markkanen‘s new renegotiated and extended contract with the Jazz are in.

As expected, Utah used its cap room to bump Markkanen’s 2024/25 salary from approximately $18MM all the way up to his maximum (over $42MM). He’ll also receive a maximum salary in the first year of his extension. However, the second, third, and fourth years of the extension will come in a little below the max.

Here’s the year-by-year breakdown:

2024/25: $42,176,400
- Note: This is up from $18,044,544, for $24,131,856 in new money in 2024/25.
2025/26: $46,394,100
- Note: This salary is based on a projected $154,647,000 salary cap in 2025/26, which would be the maximum allowable 10% raise. If the cap comes in lower than that, this salary would too (it will be worth 30% of the cap).
2026/27: $46,113,154
2027/28: $49,824,681
2028/29: $53,536,209

In total, Markkanen is projected to earn $238,044,544 over the next five years, including $195,868,144 across his four-year extension that begins in 2025. The deal provides exactly $220MM in total new money.

Given that the Jazz were OK with Markkanen waiting until Wednesday to sign this contract – which makes him ineligible to be traded for the entire 2024/25 regular season – it’s a pretty favorable arrangement overall for the star forward.

Technically, Markkanen could have earned a maximum of $207,845,568 over four years with the Jazz as a free agent next summer, or $199,494,630 over four years if he left Utah for a new team, so his $195.9MM extension comes in a little below both figures. But after taking into account his $24MM+ raise for ’24/25 – which only the Jazz could have offered – he’ll come out well ahead financially over the next five seasons.

As Keith Smith of Spotrac observes (via Twitter), the 2026/27 dip in Markkanen’s deal could open the door for the Jazz to create significant cap room during the 2026 offseason. Outside of Markkanen’s new contract, the only salaries on Utah’s books for that season right now are rookie scale deals.

Here are a few more notes on Markkanen’s lucrative new long-term contract:

The Jazz renounced their free agent rights to Talen Horton-Tucker and Kira Lewis in order to create the cap room necessary to renegotiate Markkanen’s contract, per RealGM’s transaction log. The team no longer holds any form of Bird rights on either player.
With Markkanen’s deal on the books, the Jazz have surpassed the minimum salary floor and can create up to $11,295,112 in cap space. They’ll need to use a small portion of that room to re-sign Johnny Juzang to his reported four-year, $12MM deal. Utah has also reached a two-year, $10MM agreement with free agent center Drew Eubanks, though the club could complete that signing using the room exception if necessary.
Jazz CEO Danny Ainge and general manager Justin Zanik both issued statements on Markkanen in the team’s official press release announcing his extension. “Lauri’s ability to score in multiple ways and his versatility as a player makes our team better,” Ainge said. “He embodies our team’s core values on and off the court. We’re glad that he wants to be a part of our future and what we’re building here in Utah.”
Zanik’s statement is as follows: “Lauri’s combination of size, skill, and shooting is really unique, and he’s proved he’s an All-Star level player with his improvement over the past two seasons. We’re excited that he shares the same vision of what our team can be long-term and to have him not only as a building block for the Jazz, but also as a member of the Utah community for years to come, is huge.”

Warriors Notes: Podziemski, Kuminga, Curry, Green, Moody, More

August 7th, 2024 at 3:11pm CST by Luke Adams

The Warriors viewed the Jazz‘s asking price in trade talks for Lauri Markkanen as one that would have made it a “bad deal” if they’d met it, sources tell Kendra Andrews of ESPN, which is why discussions between the two teams stalled. Those talks officially came to an end on Wednesday when Markkanen renegotiated and extended his contract with Utah, making him ineligible to be dealt until the 2025 offseason.

Confirming previous reporting from The Athletic, Andrews says the Warriors aren’t feeling any urgency to shift their focus to a new trade target now that Markkanen is off the board, citing team sources who say the club isn’t “hot on” any of the players currently available on the market.

The negotiations with Utah also showed that the Warriors intend to hang onto young players like Brandin Podziemski and Jonathan Kuminga “very tightly,” Andrews writes, and would only be willing to move one or both of them in an “overwhelming” deal that made the team better in the long run.

For now, Podziemski, Kuminga, Moses Moody, and Trayce Jackson-Davis all appear poised to take on larger roles with the Warriors in 2024/25, though nothing will be handed to them, a source tell Andrews, meaning they’ll have to show that they deserve increased minutes and possibly starting spots. While Stephen Curry and Draymond Green are, of course, penciled in as starters, the other three spots in the starting five are considered “wide open” entering training camp, Andrews reports.

Here’s more on the Warriors:

Curry and Green want to be consulted on the Warriors’ roster moves, but they’ve made it clear they don’t want to be “final decision-makers,” sources tell ESPN. “Steph has said, ‘Look, I do not want to be making those decisions. It puts me in a different spot than all of my teammates. I do not want that,'” one source said to Andrews. While the two stars are still adjusting to the fact that Klay Thompson is no longer on the roster, they’re excited about the moves Golden State has made this offseason, Andrews adds.
With Thompson and Chris Paul exiting Golden State this summer, adding scoring was the team’s top priority, which was the impetus for the addition of Buddy Hield in particular. The Warriors also expect Kyle Anderson and De’Anthony Melton to contribute in that area while helping to solidify the defense, Andrews writes.
The Warriors haven’t engaged in any serious rookie scale extension discussions with Kuminga or Moody yet, but general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. has expressed interest in exploring deals for both players. Andrews suggests Moody’s next deal could be in the range of $11-13MM per year.
One front office source told Andrews that it was “actually really fun” to be able to operate below the tax aprons this offseason for the first time in years. That allowed the Warriors to use their full mid-level exception (on Melton) and acquire two players (Hield and Anderson) via sign-and-trade.
“Diversifying” the coaching staff and bringing in fresh faces was a goal this offseason, which led to the additions of Terry Stotts and Jerry Stackhouse. A source referred to head coach Steve Kerr and Stotts as “kindred spirits” and said Kerr appreciates the offensive acumen and communication skills the former Blazers head coach will bring to the club. Stackhouse, meanwhile, is expected to team up with assistant coach Chris DeMarco in focusing on the defensive side of the ball, says Andrews.

Western Notes: Lakers, Markkanen, Grizzlies, Murray

August 7th, 2024 at 1:18pm CST by Tristan Tucker

The Lakers, Celtics and Cavaliers are the only three teams who haven’t added any new players through free agency or trade this offseason. Of the three, Los Angeles is the one with the least clarity about its lineup for next season.

Jovan Buha of The Athletic evaluates the Lakers’ depth chart and offers his predictions about who will take the fifth starter spot. With LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Austin Reaves and D’Angelo Russell looking like surefire starters, Buha lands on Rui Hachimura over Jarred Vanderbilt for the fifth slot.

Buha points to L.A.’s offensive production and 22-10 record with Hachimura in the lineup to close last season as major reasons why he views him as the frontrunner.

We have more from around the Western Conference:

Lauri Markkanen‘s massive payday with the Jazz is a testament to patience, perseverance, and opportunity, according to Tony Jones of The Athletic. As Jones details, Markkanen didn’t often look like a future star in Chicago or Cleveland, but continued to work on improving his skill set and got the kind of runway in Utah that he hadn’t received at his previous NBA stops. Two years after joining the Jazz, Markkanen has an All-Star berth, a Most Improved Player award, and a new $200MM+ contract under his belt.
With Luke Kennard back in the fold, marginal moves are the ones that will define the rest of the Grizzlies‘ offseason, Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal writes. Deciding whether or not to keep Mamadi Diakite is the most significant move involving players currently on the roster. Parting ways with Diakite would open a spot on the 15-man roster, but there’s no urgency to make a decision right away. Outside of that, a possible rookie scale extension for Santi Aldama is another piece of offseason or preseason business to watch.
The difference in outside discourse regarding Jamal Murray between this offseason and last year is drastic, Bennett Durando of The Denver Post observes. Murray was fresh off playing a key role in the Nuggets winning their first championship a year ago, but underachieved in the 2024 playoffs and in the Olympics, Durando writes. While it shouldn’t be discounted that he was playing a different role – and played through injury – Murray’s struggles this year are poorly timed, given that he’s expected to sign a lucrative long-term extension this summer.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

Jazz Renegotiate, Extend Lauri Markkanen’s Contract

August 7th, 2024 at 10:09am CST by Luke Adams

AUGUST 7: Markkanen has renegotiated and extended his contract, agent Michael Lelchitski confirms to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. The Jazz have officially announced the deal (Twitter link).

According to Wojnarowski, the agreement actually features $220MM in new money. That works out to a total of approximately $238MM over the next five seasons after accounting for his previous $18MM salary for 2024/25.

That means, in addition to having his salary bumped up to the ’24/25 maximum (just over $42MM), Markkanen has tacked on another $196MM across the next four seasons.

As noted below, based on the NBA’s latest cap projections for 2025/26, Markkanen’s maximum four-year extension would have been worth about $208MM, so his new deal is much closer to the max than Tuesday’s reporting suggested. The extension features no options, Wojnarowski adds.

“They’ve all showed their belief in me, from the ownership to the front office to (head coach) Will (Hardy),” Markkanen told ESPN. “It’s a comfortable environment and those guys’ resumes speak for themselves. I trust in the organization to help grow me as a person and a player, to build our team and I’m ready to take on the challenge.”

Markkanen is now officially ineligible to be traded until the 2025 offseason.

AUGUST 6: Star forward Lauri Markkanen and the Jazz are expected to finalize an agreement on a contract renegotiation and a long-term extension that will be signed on August 7 or later, according to Shams Charania, Tony Jones, and Anthony Slater of The Athletic.

The Jazz will be able to use their cap room to renegotiate Markkanen’s 2024/25 salary ($18,044,544) all the way up to his maximum of $42,176,400, then extend him based off of that number. Extending him based on his previous salary would have limited his maximum extension to about $113MM over four new years, for a total of approximately $131MM over five years.

League sources tell The Athletic that Markkanen’s new deal is expected to be worth upwards of $200MM over the next five seasons (including ’24/25).

Markkanen became eligible for a contract renegotiation on August 6. If he were to sign today, he’d become trade-eligible on February 6, the day of the 2025 deadline. However, multiple recent reports stated that signing on Aug. 7 or later is the more likely outcome, and The Athletic’s latest story confirms that’s the plan.

Because players are prohibited from being dealt for six months after completing a contract renegotiation, the former All-Star will become ineligible to be traded for the entire 2024/25 regular season once he signs.

According to The Athletic’s trio, Markkanen has repeatedly expressed a desire to stay in Utah and wants to be part of the team’s rebuild. The Jazz, in turn, view him as a potential franchise cornerstone who can be part of their long-term plans. The front office reportedly pursued Jrue Holiday in 2023 and Mikal Bridges earlier this offseason in an effort to get Markkanen more help.

Still, Utah had been willing to listen to trade inquiries on the Finnish forward and has had trade conversations with the Warriors, Kings, and Spurs, among other teams, since the offseason began. Sacramento reportedly made progress in negotiations before those discussions collapsed in early July.

Golden State made an offer centered around Moses Moody and several draft assets, including first-round picks, second-round picks, and swaps, per The Athletic. However, the Warriors kept Brandin Podziemski out of their proposal, which was a sticking point for the Jazz and prevented the two sides from gaining any real momentum. Talks between the two teams were most active in early July and have been more infrequent in recent weeks as Golden State became resigned to the fact that a long-term extension for Markkanen was the most likely outcome, league sources tell The Athletic.

Because a contract renegotiation requires cap room, the Jazz are the only team in position to give Markkanen a raise up to his 2024/25 maximum salary this offseason, which also complicated trade talks. Any team that acquired the 27-year-old would likely have had to be comfortable going to unrestricted free agency with him next summer.

The only scenario in which Markkanen could realistically have been both extended and traded before next offseason would be if he signed a new deal today and then was moved on Feb. 6. If Utah had considered it a top priority to ensure Markkanen became trade-eligible at the deadline, the team could have played hardball in extension negotiations, making a lucrative long-term offer that would come off the table as of Aug. 7.

But it benefits the Jazz to lock up Markkanen now to avoid the risk of losing him for nothing in free agency next summer — he’ll still be trade-eligible during the 2025 offseason and could have more value at that time on a four-year contract than he does now on an expiring deal, so this new extension doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll spend the next five seasons in Utah.

For what it’s worth, if The Athletic’s five-year, $200MM estimate includes a $42MM salary for ’24/25, that would mean the four-year extension would be worth about $158MM, which is well below Markkanen’s potential maximum (approximately $208MM). Those figures suggest the Jazz were able to use some leverage to get more favorable terms in later years, though we’ll have to wait for the specific contract details to know that for sure.

Renegotiating Markkanen’s contract to give him a significant raise this season will allow the Jazz to surpass the minimum salary floor ($126.5MM). It’s unclear if the Jazz will officially complete their reported agreements with free agents Drew Eubanks and Johnny Juzang once the Markkanen situation is resolved or if the team will continue to retain as much cap room as possible for now as it explores the trade market for other possible deals.

Markkanen, who was sent to Utah from Cleveland as part of the Donovan Mitchell trade in 2022, has averaged 24.5 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 1.9 assists in 33.8 minutes per game across 121 appearances with the Jazz, recording a shooting line of .490/.395/.885.

Markkanen’s strong play has helped the Jazz remain relatively competitive in each of the past two seasons, especially in the first half. Utah won 37 games in 2022/23 and 31 in ’23/24, which resulted in the team picking no higher than No. 9 in either of the past two drafts.

Securing a higher lottery pick in a loaded 2025 draft is expected to be a priority for the Jazz, so it will be interesting to see how the team manages its lineup and rotation next season. The expectation is that Utah will give its young players, including Keyonte George, Taylor Hendricks, and Cody Williams, significant playing time and lean less heavily on its veterans.

Western Notes: Nuggets, Markkanen, Mavs, Thunder

August 5th, 2024 at 10:46pm CST by Dana Gauruder

It has been an eventful offseason for the Nuggets and The Athletic’s Tony Jones breaks down all the meaningful developments. They lost Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in free agency but the front office is convinced Christian Braun can handle a larger role. The Nuggets are also encouraged by Julian Strawther‘s Summer League performances and think he’ll add much-needed shooting to the rotation.

The Nuggets believe Russell Westbrook will fortify their offense and they’ll also need free agent addition Dario Saric to produce in a backup frontcourt role, especially with first-rounder DaRon Holmes having suffered a torn Achilles during Summer League action. If Saric doesn’t deliver, the Nuggets could be forced to use Aaron Gordon as the de facto backup center, Jones writes.

We have more from the Western Conference:

If the Jazz plan on trading Lauri Markkanen, they’re certainly doing a good job hiding their intentions. Marc Stein reports in his latest Substack post that the Jazz recently sent multiple coaching staff representatives to Finland to assist Markkanen in workouts with second-year guard Keyonte George. That gives the impression they’re not looking to deal their starting power forward, regardless of whether he signs an extension.
The Mavericks had a solid offseason with the addition of Klay Thompson in a sign-and-trade with Golden State. They also signed free agents Naji Marshall and Spencer Dinwiddie and acquired Quentin Grimes in a trade. Eddie Sefko of Mavs.com takes a closer look at what each player could bring to the defending Western Conference champions.
The Thunder‘s front office is wise to keep a roster spot open on the 15-man roster, Rylan Stiles of Sports Illustrated opines. Any free agent they could bring in now probably wouldn’t play much and keeping that spot open could facilitate a trade involving multiple players, Stiles notes. It could also make it easier to add a player in the buyout market during the season to fill a need.

Lauri Markkanen Not Expected To Sign Extension Until After August 6

August 5th, 2024 at 10:44am CST by Arthur Hill

Jazz star Lauri Markkanen appears likely to delay signing his new extension until after Tuesday so he can ensure that he won’t be traded this season, league sources tell Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports.

Markkanen will become renegotiation-eligible on August 6, which is exactly six months before the NBA’s trade deadline. Contract renegotiations trigger a six-month moratorium on trades, so if he waits until August 7 or later to accept the new deal, Markkanen can make sure that he’ll spend the entire upcoming season with Utah. Tony Jones of The Athletic previously stated that’s likely what will happen.

Veteran extensions are limited to a 40% raise in the first year, so Markkanen would normally be looking at $25,262,362 as the starting salary in his next contract. But because the Jazz still have more than $35MM in cap room, they can renegotiate his salary for 2024/25 from $18MM up to $42,176,400 and start the extension based on that number, giving him something in the neighborhood of a max deal.

With the clock ticking on Markkanen’s extension eligibility, it appears less likely that he’ll be traded before he can sign a new deal with Utah. The Jazz have reportedly been listening to offers, but have said they aren’t actively trying to move their All-Star forward.

Sources tell Fischer that the Kings and Warriors have both tried to deal for Markkanen since the start of free agency. Sacramento made “significant progress” in negotiations before trade talks collapsed in early July, Fischer adds. Golden State has also made offers for Markkanen, but Fischer’s sources say that Utah has prioritized Brandin Podziemski or Jonathan Kuminga, who are both viewed as starters for the Warriors this season.

Fischer also hears that the Spurs have expressed interest in Markkanen ever since he was a restricted free agent back in 2021, and San Antonio had hoped to acquire Markkanen in the sign-and-trade deal that sent DeMar DeRozan to Chicago that summer. The Thunder also had interest in Markkanen at the time, Fischer adds.

Fischer points out that Utah already has a large collection of first-round picks and trade swaps, so there’s limited value in acquiring more draft assets in exchange for Markkanen, a 27-year-old who’s playing at an All-Star level and wants to stay in Salt Lake City. Fischer believes that – except for the Kings – much of the trade talk surrounding Markkanen this summer has been “preliminary at best.”

Bobby Marks and Tim MacMahon of ESPN also examine the Markkanen situation, including the prospects of a last-minute trade. Their sources indicate that the Warriors and Jazz haven’t come close to reaching a deal, with one source saying Golden State is being “very protective” of Podziemski.

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