Utah Jazz Could Make Wild Lauri Markkanen Trade After Draft Lottery

The Utah Jazz walked away with disappointing results after landing the fifth overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft Lottery.

However, with such a brutal outcome in the books, it now allows the Jazz to explore a few lingering trade opportunities and effectively commit to a full-on rebuild, now that the Cooper Flagg pipe dream has sailed away.

According to Bleacher Report’s Greg Swartz, one particular trade involves the Jazz partnering with the Miami Heat.

The Trade

Miami Heat receive: F Lauri Markkanen, G Collin Sexton, G Jordan Clarkson

Utah Jazz receive: Nikola Jović, F Andrew Wiggins, G Terry Rozier, F Duncan Robinson, 2025 first-round pick (via Golden State Warriors), 2029 first-round pick (top-5 protected)

“Markkanen's contract doesn't look nearly as good coming off a down season (four years, $195.8 million), while Sexton and Clarkson are both a little too old to see a rebuild through. Rozier and Robinson represent $46.4 million worth of expiring contracts while Jović is still just 21 coming off his third professional season. The 6'10" forward could thrive in head coach Will Hardy's system in a bigger role. Utah also adds a pair of first-round picks, including the 20th overall selection in 2025,” Swartz wrote.

While this outcome certainly will not cause Jazz fans to be oozing with excitement, especially after a worst-case possible scenario in Chicago at the lottery, offloading expensive contracts gives the team more flexibility for future moves.

The Heat’s motivation for the trade is focused on winning now and adding an infusion of talent to their duo of All-Stars in Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro.

“This was one of the most disappointing and ugliest seasons in recent memory for the Heat, a franchise that's been incredibly successful the past two decades. Limping into the playoffs only to get swept with a 55-point loss isn't going to sit well with team president Pat Riley... One player may not do it. Instead, Miami should be pursuing multiple starters and/or rotation players who can fill in around Adebayo, Tyler Herro, Kel'el Ware and others to get this roster good enough to win a playoff series again,” Swartz wrote.

The future is not crystal clear for Utah, and the organization will have to go back to the drawing board and develop a path forward. Not getting a top-four pick in the draft wasn’t in the plan, but this draft is filled with talent, and Utah can walk away with a great prospect at pick number five.

Names to keep an eye out for in that range include VJ Edgecombe, Kon Knueppel, and Tre Johnson. Although these young athletes were not the original prize in the eyes of Jazz fans, each offers NBA-ready skills that can translate to winning basketball games.

Like it or love it, that’s just the way the lottery goes sometimes, as nothing is guaranteed.