It's time for the Warriors to pivot away from Lauri Markkanen

The Golden State Warriors have pursued Lauri Markkanen for most of the offseason. The 7-foot big man projects as the ideal secondary star next to Steph Curry. He would also solve the Warriors' lack of size, which has been an issue for multiple seasons. 

However, the Utah Jazz's asking price has proven too high for the Warriors front office. According to Marc Stein, Golden State is 'unwilling' to part with Brandin Podziemski as part of a potential deal. 

"The Warriors, as of Sunday, continued to be regarded as the league's most ardent Markkanen suitor," Stein reported. "... But at the same time still unwilling to surrender Brandin Podziemski in a trade package for the 7-foot Finn. Golden State, to date, has pursued Markkanen without including Podziemski or Jonathan Kuminga in trade packages laden with future draft compensation. Obviously no team, to this point, has met Danny Ainge's asking price."

It's becoming increasingly clear that Utah and Golden State have reached a stalemate. The Jazz aren't under any pressure to trade Markkanen and haven't given any reason to believe they're interested in parting ways with the All-Star. 

The Warriors clearly value Podziemski's long-term upside and also appear reluctant to move on from Jonathan Kuminga after his breakout season.

As such, now could be the right time for the Warriors to turn their attention elsewhere. They must find a way to solve their lack of size in the middle of the floor. Otherwise, their defense will have a significant hole for the second season running. 

Markkanen will become eligible to negotiate a contract extension with the Jazz on Tuesday. If the Warriors can't get a deal done by then, their pursuit of the multi-skilled big man should be over. At this point, the front office may be forced to show patience in pursuing additional upgrades. 

After all, training camp is drawing closer by the day, and teams are generally unwilling to do business once it begins.