On Monday, reports stated the Minnesota Timberwolves expressed interest in Lauri Markkanen. Markkanen has played for the Utah Jazz since 2022.
Career
Lauri Markkanen was initially drafted by the Timberwolves in the 2017 NBA Draft. His rights were sent to the Chicago Bulls on draft night as a part of a trade that sent Jimmy Butler to the Timberwolves. After four seasons in Chicago, he was sent to the Cleveland Cavaliers in a sign and trade three team deal. Markannen only spent one year in Cleveland before being dealt in a trade that sent newly resigned Donavon Mitchell to the Cavaliers.
Lauri Markkanen has seen the most success as a member of the Utah Jazz. In 2023, Markkanen was named Most Improved Player while also receiving his first NBA All-Star team selection. The Utah Jazz have not been as successful. Since acquiring Markkanen, the Jazz have been near the bottom of the Western Conference. They have placed 12th both of the past two seasons with a winning percentage of around .400.
Rebuilding
The Utah Jazz made it clear to the league their plans to rebuild with their trades in 2022. In July, the Jazz traded Rudy Gobert to the Timberwolves for a haul of players and picks. About two months later, Donovan Mitchell was traded to the Cavaliers for a similar haul. Gobert and Mitchell were the cornerstones of the franchise but the Jazz received great value in return.
In addition to Markkanen, the Jazz received Collin Sexton and Walker Kessler, along with plenty of future picks and assets. With all of this youth and the abundance of picks, the Jazz are set up well for the future. Now their decision turns to whether of not they should build around Markkanen as their centerpiece, or trade him for another haul.
Potential Suitors
The list of potential suitors for Markkanen grows by the day. Teams that are being reported to be interested are the Golden State Warriors, the San Antonio Spurs, the New Orleans Pelicans, the Oklahoma City Thunder, and the Minnesota Timberwolves. Each of these teams are attempting to keep up (or one-up) the other Western Conference teams.
The Pelicans made a big move last week and landed Dejounte Murray via trade. The Thunder traded Josh Giddey for Alex Caruso and signed Isaiah Hartenstein. The Spurs signed Chris Paul to pair up with rising star Victor Wembanyama. On the other side of things, the Warriors were in the running for Paul George and also saw the departure of Chris Paul and Klay Thompson, so they are looking to keep a potential contending window open for Steph Curry.
Timberwolves Recent Moves
The Wolves’ only move in free agency so far has been resigning fan favorite Luka Garza. They also made a splash in the NBA Draft last week when they traded up for Rob Dillingham and drafted Terrance Shannon Jr. Both of these moves have been praised by many. The Wolves were considered one of the winners from the draft by many.
As for free agency and trades, many expected minimal movement from the Timberwolves. They have plenty of money tied up in their core so they do not have much flexibility. Most media and fans have linked the Wolves to cheaper veterans as really their only options, so the news that the Wolves were potentially interested in trading for Markkanen came as a bit of a surprise.
Likelihood and Fit
Although it seems that the Timberwolves making a trade for Lauri Markkanen is unlikely, the reports make it at least a possibility. Markkanen is due $18 million this year, which would be difficult to cover for the Wolves. With the big extensions of Anthony Edwards, Jaden McDaniels, and Karl-Anthony Towns, the Wolves are already past the Luxury Tax and are limited with their options.
To land Lauri Markkanen, the Timberwolves would most likely have to give up at least one of their core pieces. The most likely piece would be Karl-Anthony Towns. His name has been brought up frequently as a possible trade candidate with most trades never seeming too likely. Towns, though, is older than Markkanen, so it may not make sense for the Jazz to take him in return. This could mean that they would need a third team involved. If not Towns, the it would probably be McDaniels. McDaniels really played well throughout the playoffs and solidified himself as an important part of their future.
Markkanen would be a good fit for the Wolves as he would for most teams. He is a seven footer that can create and can shoot three pointers. He has some work to do on the defensive end, though. The Wolves made it to the Western Conference Finals this year heavily relying on their top defense. Their eventual elimination came at the hands of the Dallas Mavericks who seemed to be able to score at will when the Wolves couldn’t. Much of the series saw struggles from three and difficulties creating opportunities to score. Markkanen could help with both of these and would be assisted on the defensive end by the excellent defenders that make up most of the Wolves’ roster.
Does it Happen?
The Minnesota Timberwolves are big fans of Lauri Markkanen. It seems like a difficult task to make this trade work, but crazier things have happened. The Jazz and Timberwolves have recent history when it comes to trading which works in their favor. The Wolves, though, have repeatedly come out saying that the plan is to run it back. They had a squad that almost reached the NBA Finals this year. Does Markkanen put the Wolves over the edge? Or would trading away a huge part of their core do more harm than good? These are the questions that Tim Connelly and the Timberwolves look to answer in the coming hours and days.
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