Jazz Mailbag: Is Lauri Markkanen Staying In Utah A Good Thing?

SALT LAKE CITY – Welcome to the Utah Jazz mailbag where this week answer whether fans should be happy about Lauri Markkanen signing an extension with the team.

Each week we will send out a prompt on X asking for the questions you have about the Jazz.

Then, we’ll respond to as many as we can in that week’s mailbag.

Mailbag: Is Markkanen Staying Good For Jazz?

How excited are we about Lauri’s long-term extension? How soon realistically do you think Lauri could play his first playoff game in Utah?

— Jake The Lynx (@JakePenrod) August 6, 2024

Question: How excited are we about Lauri’s long-term extension? How soon realistically do you think Lauri could play his first playoff game in Utah?

Answer: As we at KSL Sports have indicated throughout the 2024 offseason, Lauri Markkanen plans to renegotiate the final year of his contract with the Jazz, and then sign a long-term extension to remain with the team for the foreseeable future.

This is an enormously important step for the Jazz rebuilding efforts, and one fans should be loudly celebrating.

For a team that has a history of losing star players to bigger markets, Markkanen is not only planning to re-sign with the Jazz, but is doing so happily.

Better yet, Markkanen is worth the money.

According to multiple reports, Lauri Markkanen will renegotiate his current deal, and sign a long term extension with the @utahjazz. #TakeNote https://t.co/ys91A9miC5

— KSL Sports (@kslsports) August 6, 2024

Far too often NBA teams get caught paying what I call the “best player tax,” where they default to giving their top scorer, or most promising young player a max contract, regardless of the financial difficulty it might create in the franchise’s future.

The Atlanta Hawks made this mistake with current Jazzman John Collins, while the New Orleans Pelicans are looking to avoid making that same mistake with Brandon Ingram.

But, with all due respect to Collins and Ingram, Markkanen is not only worthy of a max contract due to his play over the last two years, but there’s a reasonable chance his projected $200 contract winds up looking like a bargain with the rapidly increasing salary cap under the new television broadcast deal.

Related: Can Jazz Tank With Markkanen On The Roster?

Markkanen’s size and shooting fit the modern NBA prototype for frontcourt players, and having just turned 27 in May, his athletic prime should easily outlast the length of his new contract.

Now, to your second question, how long until Markkanen is suiting up for a playoff game in Utah?

That answer likely depends on how successful the Jazz are this season when it comes to landing another high draft pick.

If the Jazz are confident that the player they select in the loaded 2025 NBA Draft is worth featuring in a rebuild, they could opt to use salary cap space as soon as next summer to add win-now veterans, and I wouldn’t rule out the team prioritizing postseason success, even if that only means qualifying for the Play-In Tournament in 2026.

If they still sense it benefits them to wait one more year, 2026 is also a top-heavy draft, and the Jazz could choose to add yet another high pick if their plans to improve haven’t materialized before then.

I would add, if the Jazz find themselves with two more top-ten picks over the next two seasons, I wouldn’t rule out Markkanen hitting the trade market once again, as the team’s rebuild will clearly be pushed back several years.

What are the odds of us trading Collins, sexton, or clarkson before the season? Before the trade deadline?

— Glen Andersen (@glendersen) August 6, 2024

Question: What are the odds of us trading Collins, Sexton, or Clarkson before the season? Before the trade deadline?

Answer: With Markkanen under contract, the Jazz can now turn their attention to either signing free agents (a la Isaac Okoro), or maintaining cap flexibility, and using it to acquire other teams’ bad contracts, along with future assets to help them avoid the luxury tax and salary apron.

The Jazz clearly haven’t prioritized roster improvement through this point in the offseason, and I don’t know how much that can change over the next few months leading into training camp.

Jordan Clarkson rarely talks about anything beyond the here and now, but as the elder statesman of the @utahjazz, he has some boxes he’d like to check on the back half of his career. #takenote https://t.co/ZvVNRlfV9Z

— KSL Sports (@kslsports) April 19, 2024

Most of the top free agents are off the board, which means the roster could be finalized via trade, especially for teams looking to dump salary.

If the Jazz were to pursue that route, I would expect John Collins and Jordan Clarkson to be the popular names mentioned in trade talks.

Clarkson is a relatively easy piece to acquire making just $14 million each of the next two seasons, and having a skillset that fits on most rosters.

Collins is younger, and could potentially opt out of his contract in the 2025 offseason, but is harder to fit on most teams due to his style of play, and is more expensive.

Sexton would likely have the most value, but in a league oversaturated with guards, the Jazz would likely be selling low if they were to trade him in the next six months.

So before training camp opens I do expect to hear the Jazz’s name mentioned in more trade rumors, and wouldn’t be surprised if the team’s veterans find themselves at the forefront.

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Ben Anderson is the Utah Jazz insider for KSL Sports and the co-host of Jake and Ben from 10-12p with Jake Scott on 97.5 The KSL Sports Zone. Find Ben on Twitter at @BensHoops or on Instagram @BensHoops.

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