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NBA Analyst Predicts Surprising Trade For Lauri Markkanen

Originally posted on Last Word On Sports
By Aleksandar Mishkov | Last updated Sep 21, 2025 7:00 AM ET

With his play at the FIBA EuroBasket 2025, Lauri Markkanen upped his trade value. The Utah Jazz are most likely going through a rebuild phase, making Lauri an odd piece there. When they traded for Markkanen several years ago, the Jazz didn’t expect him to turn out this good. If he comes back to the NBA and plays like he did at the EuroBasket, Lauri will be an All-Star. And that brings an interesting question. Do the Jazz keep him and build around him? Or do they cash in while his value is extremely high and speed up their rebuild phase?

NBA Analyst Predicts Surprising Trade For Lauri Markkanen

The Golden State Warriors have been considered the frontrunners for Markkanen. However, their current trade assets and payroll situation make that trade almost impossible. The Jazz would have to want Jonathan Kuminga on a new deal to make a trade happen. And if the Jazz wanted Kuminga by now, they could have gotten him.

According to a former ESPN analyst, Zach Lowe, there might be other teams more likely to trade for Markkanen. One team he mentions during his last podcast is the Detroit Pistons.

“I have talked to a lot of people. Everybody loves Lauri Markkanen. He’s an easy fit anywhere. They don’t love the contract. EuroBasket helped; he was just destroying people at EuroBasket. The Detroit Pistons might be my favorite Lauri Markkanen team. You can see it. Tobias Harris is going to be a free agent next year. Jaden Ivey, here’s a young guard to add to your collection. Throw in some picks. Perfect fit with Cade. Doesn’t need the ball all the time. Can do stuff with the ball. I love it. I think Detroit would be interested if this ever comes to bear.”

The Pistons finished with the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference last year. They made the playoffs for the first time since the 2018-19 season. For five years, they won 20, 20, 23, 17, and 14 games. Then, last season, Cade Cunningham had a great year, and they won 44 games. This year, with the Eastern Conference open for grabs due to injuries to Jason Tatum and Tyrese Haliburton, the Pistons might be a surprise team to make the top four.

Should the Pistons go All In?

The Detroit Pistons have a good payroll and can certainly absorb Markkanen’s contract. Their young players are still on rookie contracts. Ivey, for example, will hit restricted free agency next season. They have all of their picks going forward, plus some second-round picks from other teams and plenty of young players. They can certainly make a trade work.

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The question is whether Markkanen is the guy to go after. The Pistons have rarely been a free agent destination. Even when they were dominating the East in the 2000s, they were not seen as a premier destination. Getting a player through a trade is the most likely route, unless some of their young players develop into stars.

If the Pistons want to make a move, they have to weigh whether Ivey can turn into an All-Star and whether he has star potential. In 30 games last season, he showed plenty of promise, averaging 17.6 points on 46% shooting from the floor and 40.9% from three-point range.

What is Lauri Markkanen Trade Value?

Lauri Markkanen has been one of the more coveted trade targets for the past year or so. The challenge is that the Utah Jazz view his trade value one way, and teams might see another. In the past few years, the Jazz have shown an ability to squeeze as many assets as possible for their stars.

If we compare Markkanen to Donovan Mitchell, the last star the Jazz traded, the latter was much better at the time. Markkanen has made only one All-Star appearance, while Mitchell was a three-time All-Star at the time of the trade. The Cleveland Cavaliers paid three first-round picks for Mitchell, two swaps, plus they gave them Markkanen. But with not many great players on the trade block, Markkanen’s value goes up. Will the Pistons or any other team make a move to get him? Let’s wait and see.

This article first appeared on Last Word On Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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