After Mikal Bridges’ trade with the New York Knicks and Paul George going to the Philadelphia 76ers, the league teams have shifted to another big name in the trade season. This time, it is Utah Jazz power forward Lauri Markkanen who has been a hot topic recently due to his demand among the teams. Well, who does not want an aggressive offense like Markkanen, who averaged 23.2 points last year playing through only 55 games? He is the recipient of the 2022-23 NBA Most Improved Player award and even recorded 28 double-doubles over 66 games that he played for the Jazz coach Will Hardy.

However, the teams are lined up for the trade of the 27-year-old, and it does not only include the Golden State Warriors. It also includes the San Antonio Spurs and Sacramento Kings with their “substantial offers on the table” for Markkanen, as per The Athletic’s Tony Jones. Although Markkanen can be the required missing piece for the Dubs offense, they are not the first choice for Jazz right now. Surprisingly, according to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, the Kings might have more chance to land Markkanen, as he revealed on the ‘No Cap Room’ podcast on Wednesday.

“The Kings, to my knowledge, earlier this week were close to a deal. …There were calls made to people around the NBA that would have indicated that talks have been legitimate there,” Fischer concluded as per his league sources. Moreover, according to RealGM Wiretap, the Kings are also quite “aggressive in looking to upgrade their roster”. Especially their loss to the Pelicans and failure to make it to the playoff run last season have instilled them with motivational fury for the next season.

On the other hand, the Spurs have cap flexibility on their side. Reportedly, the San Antonio Spurs have got $15 million cap space for recruiting a veteran on board. They are building their team around rookie Victor Wembanyama’s potential and veteran players to guide him under pressure. The Dubs also have a chance of a sign-and-trade deal. But their young star Jonathan Kuminga might enter the trade talks, preventing the Warriors from putting up a competitive offer..

Why can Lauri Markkanen be a crucial team piece for the Golden State Warriors?

The Utah Jazz’s forward has proved to be the number one target for the Dubs because of his scoring capability and off-ball play, as mentioned above. However, in addition to that, he has the physical advantage of scaling a height of 7 feet. Moreover, the ‘Finnisher’, on average, has shot 40% baskets from the deep, which takes the burden off the main offense. His abilities will perfectly complement Draymond Green and fit into Steve Kerr’s motion offense strategies.

On top of that, Stephen Curry will not share the same level of offensive responsibility as before with Markkanen on board. The 27-year-old secondary scorer will smoothen the flow of the Dubs’ plays on the court. However, the players as precious as Markkanen don’t come cheap, as the Jazz might opt for multiple future first-round picks and potential young players from the Dubs.

Now, it all sums up the fact of how direly Joe Lacob is prepared for sacrifice. Either way, he is on a loss since Lauri Markkanen is an exceptional player, and getting him on the roster might deprive him of his favorite players. Only time will tell how things will turn out for the Jazz forward in the upcoming week. Keep yourself posted on our page for further developments on the Markkanen trade.

But before you go, be sure to check this video of Leonardo Armato’s take on the deadly duo, Shaq and Kobe.