Despite Surging Value, Lauri Markkanen Remains Untradeable

Lauri Markkanen has been one of the best players at the FIBA EuroBasket 2025, raising his trade value. For the first time in history, Finland made the medal round at the EuroBasket, and it was all thanks to Markkanen. As the focal point of their offense, Lauri was key to beating Montenegro during the group stage and then Serbia in the elimination rounds. Against Serbia and Nikola Jokic, he had 29 points, eight rebounds, and three assists.

If he rises to an All-Star level this season, Markkanen will be one of the most interesting trade targets for teams during the trade deadline. Yet, it will be hard for the Utah Jazz to trade him.

Despite Surging Value, Lauri Markkanen Remains Untradeable

Lauri hasn’t made the playoffs during his career, and that is a stain on his resume. But that should not reflect on him as a player. Before joining the Jazz, he was mostly a role player with decent upside. Once he made it to Utah, Markkanen put his skills on full display. Thanks to his performance at the EuroBasket, his trade value might be the highest of his career. The Jazz are on a rebuilding path, and it is only logical for them to trade Markkanen. But here are three reasons why they cannot do it.

Three Reasons the Jazz Cannot Trade Markkanen

First and foremost, Markkanen is the 20th highest-paid player in the league for next season. He will earn $46 million in 2025-26, more than players like Anthony Edwards, Pascal Siakam, Tyrese Haliburton, Cade Cunningham, and even Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. That alone makes it almost impossible to trade for him. For example, a team like the Golden State Warriors—long-mentioned as a possible destination—has to include Jimmy Butler in a trade. Even if you combine the salaries of several players, teams will have to give up two to three role players, hurting their depth, to get Lauri.

The second reason is loosely tied to the first one, and it is the new era of first and second aprons. Paying close to $50 million for a player who hasn’t led a team to the playoffs is not smart business. Teams are now more cautious about the amount of money they give to players. That is one of the reasons why someone like Trae Young has yet to reach an extension with the Atlanta Hawks, despite being their franchise player.

Last, but not least, Danny Ainge makes trades for the Jazz. Throughout his career as an executive, Ainge has yet to make a trade in which he doesn’t get more than expected. It seems like the Jazz value Markkanen more than what other teams are willing to pay for him. For their last two franchise players, Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell, they got a combined seven first-round picks and three swaps. Both Rudy and Mitchell were more decorated at the time of the trade. Yet, the Jazz might be looking for a similar price of young players and draft picks. That might make Lauri untradeable, despite the effort put in by other teams.

Can Markkanen Lead a Team in the NBA?

Fans might not remember it, but in his first season with the Utah Jazz, Markkanen led them to a winning record. At one point, they were 27-26 with a win over the Toronto Raptors. With a new coach and a system that made him the focal point, Lauri won the Most Improved Player of the Year Award. He also made his only All-Star appearance. That season, he averaged 25.6 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 1.9 assists on 49.9% shooting from the floor and 39.1% from three-point range.

When the Jazz acquired Markkanen, nobody expected him to become an All-Star. The team did not know exactly what direction to take. As the team was winning, the Jazz made a series of moves at the 2023 trade deadline that put them in a position to tank for a draft pick. They had a top 10 lottery-protected pick, so they decided to get it.

At the deadline, the Jazz traded Mike Conley, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Malik Beasley, and Jarred Vanderbilt. That severely hurt their depth, and by the end of the season, they finished 37-45, missing the playoffs. But that season showed Markkanen can be a focal point of a playoff-team offense.