Lauri Markkanen Signs Huge Contract With Utah Jazz

Lauri Markkanen’s next five years looks like it has been finally decided, as he has signed to stay with the Utah Jazz. He has been rumored to be traded to several teams for the last few months. Each team has pitched trades and deals for different players as well as draft picks. With every deal, it must have been hard for Markkanen to rest, not knowing his fate and who his future teammates would be. However, it turns out that this NBA all-star is staying as he has signed a $238 million contract extension. How long could he stay and what does this mean for the Jazz?

Lauri Markkanen’s Stays With Utah Jazz

The Jazz have sent a message to the NBA world stating that they are keeping Markkanen. For months, they have offered him up, tempting other teams to see who and what they would offer to have him. This wasn’t just a simple trade for an average player but an NBA All-Star.

Markkanen made the All-Star team in his first season with the Jazz and kept his rhythm going this last season. While playing with Utah, he averaged 23.2 points per game despite dealing with various injuries and problems. He only played in 55 games last season.

Is Markkanen Good Enough For This Deal?

In this deal, the Jazz used $33 million of their cap space. This deal for Markkanen is the highest paid in Utah’s franchise history. By waiting to sign a deal until August 7, this extension means he cannot be traded for exactly six months after the day of his signing. Also, the next season’s trade deadline is the beginning of February.

For some teams that wanted Markkanen, this is bad news. Take, for example, the Golden State Warriors, who have offered several deals to get him to sign with them. Since he is staying, this means good news for the Jazz as they have been rebuilding their team for years, and it appeared that Lauri would be the building block for that.

Markkanen came to the Jazz in September 2022. He was first drafted seventh overall by the Bulls in 2017 and went to the Cavaliers and the Blazers before coming to the Jazz after the trade for Donovan Mitchell. Before coming to the Jazz, he averaged almost 15 points per game and 6 rebounds. His efforts last year earned him the Most Improved Player award.

What Does This Mean For Markkanen And The Jazz?

In thoughts of staying with the Jazz, Markkanen said as the last season was ending, “We love to be here. I’ve said it multiple times. And my family likes to be here.” Now that the trade problems are finished for him and he is staying, he stated,

“It’s a weight off my shoulders, and I can focus only on the main thing now: playing basketball at a high level. I don’t stress about it, but you can’t pretend you don’t hear that stuff. It’s a good feeling knowing that I’m going to be in Utah.”

Now that he is with the Jazz, will he be good enough to build the team’s future around? How will this deal affect Keyonte George, Collin Sexton, Taylor Hendricks, and John Collins? The Jazz have a history of building great players such as Mitchell and Rudy Gobert and losing them. Will Markkanen be the next?

Also, the Jazz haven’t been able to make it to the playoffs since the 2021-22 season, and are not doing so well against other Western Conference teams. Do the Jazz have time before the season starts at the end of October? All these questions will have to be answered as we watch how Markkanen does as he stays put in Utah.