Mar 17, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen (23) shoots a technical free throw during the first quarter against the Chicago Bulls at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Nicoll-Imagn Images Chris Nicoll-Imagn Images

NBA Analyst Makes Case for Pistons to Pursue Lauri Markkanen

Originally posted on Detroit Pistons on SI
By Kevin McCormick | Last updated Sep 20, 2025 9:39 AM ET

After tripling their win total from last season, the Detroit Pistons were an interesting team heading into the offseason. They had a sizable amount of cap space, along with an array of assets to pull off a big trade that would move the needle.

While many might have clamored for them to take a big swing, Trajan Langdon remained patient in his approach. He continued to operate in the margins, bringing in a new batch of complementary veterans. For now, Detroit's primary avenue to improvement is internal development.

Too many times has a team tried to speed up its rebuild by taking big risks after one successful season. Langdon doesn't appear in a hurry to shake up the roster dramatically, as he wants to see which members of the young core can emerge as pillars for the franchise moving forward.

Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

Over the summer, countless names were tossed out as possible trade candidates for the Pistons. Among those most often mentioned was Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen.

Seeing that the Jazz are fully embracing a youth movement now, the former All-Star remains a key name to watch on the trade market heading into the 2026 season.

During a recent episode of his podcast, NBA analyst Zach Lowe weighed in on the idea of Detroit pursuing Markkanen. He thinks it would be a strong addition and that the sharpshooting forward could be a viable running mate for Cade Cunningham.

"The Detroit Pistons might be my favorite Lauri Markkanen team," Lowe said. "And you can tee it up, Tobias Harris is gonna be a free agent after this year, Jaden Ivey, here's a young guard to add to your collection of young guards. Throw in some picks, done, we got it. Perfect fit with Cade, doesn't need the ball all the time, can do stuff with the ball. I love it. I think Detroit will/would be interested if this ever comes to bare."

“The Detroit Pistons might be my favourite Lauri Markkanen team … [he’s] a perfect fit with Cade … I love it.”

Zach Lowe via The Zach Lowe Show. pic.twitter.com/LI6MN9Uv4Q
— Pistons Jack (@pistons_jack) September 19, 2025

Markkanen is coming off a down year with the Jazz, averaging just 19.0 PPG across 47 appearances. However, he's shown he can still play at a high level. Markkanen put together a dominant stretch for Finland in EuroBasket, posting averages of 23.1 PPG, 8.1 RPG, and 2.2 APG.

Parting with Ivey after what he showed last season is a tough decision, but Markkanen is someone who could help the Pistons climb the ranks in the East. With his scoring and shooting ability in the frontcourt, he could form a dominant two-man game with Cunningham.

As of now, the Jazz have expressed no willingness to part with Markkanen.

This article first appeared on Detroit Pistons on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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