According to Shams Charania, he expects the Detroit Pistons to go star hunting this season, and that could mean Lauri Markkanen.
So, apparently, the Pistons will look to find players that fit their timeline, and Lauri Markkanen and Trey Murphy III fit the mold.
Here we go again…
Like all the trade rumors we saw before, the Pistons
wanting Lauri Markkanen doesn’t mean they can get Lauri Markkanen unless they’re willing to pay a certain price. But now that the Jazz are going to be competitive next season, it seems much less likely they make a trade of Markkanen. At the very least, it would seem like the price for Markkanen would be higher than before.
And yet… there are a few things that make me wonder if there’s maybe a slim chance.
The first thing is the upcoming lottery. What happens if the Jazz jump to the 3 or 4 spot and come away with Cam Boozer or Caleb Wilson? Utah is already getting a little redundant at power forward with Lauri Markkanen and Jaren Jackson Jr. There may be some consideration of some sort of move if the Pistons offer a player like Ausar Thompson and a crazy amount of picks. With the upcoming lottery changes, picks could become even more valuable because any pick could potentially become the #1 pick. It’s at least interesting to think about. And if you feel like the player you’re bringing in could replace Markkanen’s production, it seems at least plausible.
The other thing to consider is Markkanen’s contract. It’s huge, and it’s not something Utah has to worry too much about now, it will be something that could cause problems down the road. Walker Kessler is still a question mark on whether they can get a reasonable contract signed, and Keyonte George has a contract extension coming up. If he continues his breakout play this season, he’s going to rightfully demand a big contract as well.
All that said, it doesn’t feel like a Markkanen move is likely at all this season. The Jazz are in no rush to make any moves and will be pushing hard for the playoffs and beyond. And let’s say they do get lucky in the lottery and draft a top-4 pick. Having so much talent that a player like Cam Boozer comes off the bench is a great problem to have.
It seems like the only scenario in which Utah makes a move is when a team like the Pistons makes an offer that Utah would be irresponsible to turn down. That doesn’t seem likely, so this doesn’t feel like much. It’s worth monitoring, but doesn’t seem very likely.
