Dec 28, 2024; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen (23) and Philadelphia 76ers guard Reggie Jackson (00) battle for a rebound during the third quarter at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images Rob Gray-Imagn Images

Utah Jazz's Lauri Markkanen Sinks in ESPN Player Rankings

Originally posted on Utah Jazz on SI | By Jared Koch | Last updated Sep 25, 2025 9:00 AM ET

But where exactly did the Jazz star fit into the top 100, and how far did he drop?

After coming into the 33rd spot within ESPN's NBA Rank entering last season, Markkanen found himself ten spots lower before this year, coming in as the 43rd-best player in the NBA.

ESPN's Ramona Shelburne credits the impressive EuroBasket run Markkanen was a part of his most recent offseason, but also points out his flaws from last year, which could linger over into this one, leading to his fall in the new batch of rankings.

"Markkanen had an incredible performance leading Finland to the bronze medal game at EuroBasket -- including an upset of Serbia. But Markkanen didn't quite reach expectations last season in Utah after signing a monster extension in the offseason, playing in just 47 games and averaging 19 points and just 5.9 rebounds for the tanking Jazz," Shelburne wrote. "That's as much on the Jazz as it is Markkanen, who reminded everyone this summer just how versatile and dangerous he can be."

Markkanen, who's latest season with the Jazz was ravaged by nagging injuries and the lottery odds ambitions with the Jazz, ended up resulting in his worst year of production with the least amount of games played in a single season since arriving in Utah three summers ago.

Markkanen averaged his worst points (19.0), rebounds (5.9), assists (1.5), and field goal numbers (42.3%) during his tenure as a Jazzman, making it clearer as to why he's not quite nationally viewed as a top 35 player in the league. He remained top 50, but is hanging close to the edge.

The odds of Markkanen finding his way back to being viewed as a top 35 player, or perhaps even higher, don't seem out of the realm of possibilities in due time, but it relies on a few factors to turn in his favor–– the most critical of which centers on the Jazz's expectations and ambitions as a team.

The Jazz won't be at the bottom of the barrel forever, but as long as they're focusing on development and young players while losing many games in the process, Markkanen's stock doesn't exactly improve. Instead, part of Markkanen's rise back among the upper echelon of NBA stars will likely have to pair with a bit of winning basketball in the mix as well.

The tide may not turn in the Jazz's favor for immediate wins this season, while they'll remain more competitive than last, but the sooner they put wins on the board, the sooner Markkanen can begin to log his deserved respect among the NBA's top dogs.

This article first appeared on Utah Jazz on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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