{"id":159688,"date":"2025-09-21T07:00:58","date_gmt":"2025-09-21T11:00:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=159688"},"modified":"2025-09-20T21:14:49","modified_gmt":"2025-09-21T01:14:49","slug":"lauri-markkanen-trade-value-and-trade-options-explained","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2025\/09\/21\/lauri-markkanen-trade-value-and-trade-options-explained\/","title":{"rendered":"NBA Analyst Predicts Surprising Trade For Lauri Markkanen"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>With his play at the FIBA EuroBasket 2025, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/m\/markkla01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Lauri Markkanen<\/a> upped his trade value. The Utah Jazz are most likely going through a rebuild phase, making Lauri an odd piece there. When they traded for Markkanen several years ago, the Jazz didn\u2019t expect him to turn out this good. If he comes back to the NBA and plays like he did at the EuroBasket, Lauri will be an All-Star. And that brings an interesting question. Do the Jazz keep him and build around him? Or do they cash in while his value is extremely high and speed up their rebuild phase?<\/p>\n<h2>NBA Analyst Predicts Surprising Trade For Lauri Markkanen<\/h2>\n<p>The Golden State Warriors have been considered the frontrunners for Markkanen. However, their current trade assets and payroll situation make that trade almost impossible. The Jazz would have to want <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/k\/kuminjo01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jonathan Kuminga<\/a> on a new deal to make a trade happen. And if the Jazz wanted Kuminga by now, they could have gotten him.<\/p>\n<p>According to a former ESPN analyst, Zach Lowe, there might be other teams more likely to trade for Markkanen. One team he mentions during his last podcast is the Detroit Pistons.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cI have talked to a lot of people. Everybody loves Lauri Markkanen. He\u2019s an easy fit anywhere. They don\u2019t love the contract. EuroBasket helped; he was just destroying people at EuroBasket. The Detroit Pistons might be my favorite Lauri Markkanen team. You can see it. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/h\/harrito02.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Tobias Harris<\/a> is going to be a free agent next year. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/i\/iveyja01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jaden Ivey<\/a>, here\u2019s a young guard to add to your collection. Throw in some picks. Perfect fit with Cade. Doesn\u2019t need the ball all the time. Can do stuff with the ball. I love it. I think Detroit would be interested if this ever comes to bear.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"How Can Teams Get Over the Hump With Rob Mahoney, and Mets Corner With Sean Fennessey\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/hxIE6jD-mSQ?start=1560&#038;feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>The Pistons finished with the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference last year. They made the playoffs for the first time since the 2018-19 season. For five years, they won 20, 20, 23, 17, and 14 games. Then, last season, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/c\/cunnica01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Cade Cunningham<\/a> had a great year, and they won 44 games. This year, with the Eastern Conference open for grabs due to injuries to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/t\/tatumja01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jason Tatum<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/h\/halibty01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Tyrese Haliburton<\/a>, the Pistons might be a surprise team to make the top four.<\/p>\n<h3>Should the Pistons go All In?<\/h3>\n<p>The Detroit Pistons have a good <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/contracts\/DET.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">payroll<\/a> and can certainly absorb Markkanen\u2019s contract. Their young players are still on rookie contracts. Ivey, for example, will hit restricted free agency next season. They have all of their <a href=\"https:\/\/fanspo.com\/nba\/teams\/Pistons\/9\/draft-picks\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">picks<\/a> going forward, plus some second-round picks from other teams and <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2025\/09\/19\/detroit-pistons-make-5-roster-moves-as-they-look-to-finalize-training-camp-roster\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">plenty of young players<\/a>. They can certainly make a trade work.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_155433\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-155433\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-155433 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/08\/USATSI_22218959_168402037_lowres-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"Jan 3, 2024; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen (23) looks to move the ball against the Detroit Pistons during the third quarter at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-USA TODAY Sports\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/08\/USATSI_22218959_168402037_lowres-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/08\/USATSI_22218959_168402037_lowres-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/08\/USATSI_22218959_168402037_lowres-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/08\/USATSI_22218959_168402037_lowres-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/08\/USATSI_22218959_168402037_lowres-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/08\/USATSI_22218959_168402037_lowres-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/08\/USATSI_22218959_168402037_lowres-1200x800.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-155433\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jan 3, 2024; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen (23) looks to move the ball against the Detroit Pistons during the third quarter at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-USA TODAY Sports<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The question is whether Markkanen is the guy to go after. The Pistons have rarely been a free agent destination. Even when they were dominating the East in the 2000s, they were not seen as a premier destination. Getting a player through a trade is the most likely route, unless some of their <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2025\/08\/22\/these-pistons-slogans-might-predict-2025-26-breakout-seasons\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">young players develop into stars<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>If the Pistons want to make a move, they have to weigh whether Ivey can turn into an All-Star and whether he has star potential. In 30 games last season, he showed plenty of promise, averaging 17.6 points on 46% shooting from the floor and 40.9% from three-point range.<\/p>\n<h3>What is Lauri Markkanen Trade Value?<\/h3>\n<p>Lauri Markkanen has been one of the more coveted trade targets for the past year or so. The challenge is that the Utah Jazz view his trade value one way, and teams might see another. In the past few years, the Jazz have shown an ability to squeeze as many assets as possible for their stars.<\/p>\n<p>If we compare Markkanen to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/m\/mitchdo01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Donovan Mitchell<\/a>, the last star the Jazz traded, the latter was much better at the time. Markkanen has made only one All-Star appearance, while Mitchell was a three-time All-Star at the time of the trade. The Cleveland Cavaliers paid three first-round picks for Mitchell, two swaps, plus they gave them Markkanen. But with not many great players on the trade block, Markkanen\u2019s value goes up. Will the Pistons or any other team make a move to get him? Let\u2019s wait and see.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a9 Chris Nicoll-Imagn Images<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>With his play at the FIBA EuroBasket 2025, Lauri Markkanen upped his trade value. The Utah Jazz are most likely going through a rebuild phase, making Lauri an odd piece there. When they traded for Markkanen several years ago, the Jazz didn\u2019t expect him to turn out this good. If he comes back to the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5291,"featured_media":159718,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1608,10,62,3,4721,24],"tags":[3965,900,4107,926],"class_list":["post-159688","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-basketball","category-pistons","category-nba","category-news","category-trade-rumors","category-jazz","tag-cade-cunningham","tag-donovan-mitchell","tag-jaden-ivey","tag-lauri-markkanen"],"modified_by":"Jordan Pagkalinawan","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/159688","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5291"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=159688"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/159688\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":159721,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/159688\/revisions\/159721"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/159718"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=159688"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=159688"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=159688"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}