Lauri Markkanen Remains A Jazz Player.

Lauri Markkanen Remains A Jazz Player.

One of the players under everyone's radar for getting traded was Lauri Markkanen. With franchises expected to get desperate, they will make moves to compete. Lauri would be the perfect player for teams like the Warriors, Kings, or Rockets. But it seemed like no deal was being made. As free agency progressed, teams were starting to get set. So, that put the Utah Jazz in a scary position; Lauri would soon be a free agent. So the front office had to make a move fast.

Since Danny Ainge entered the Utah Jazz front office, they have headed toward a rebuild. Trading away their franchise star, Donovan Mitchell, for a role player, Lauri Markkanen. There were no expectations that Lauri would become a star. 2023 was an incredible year for him. Becoming a starter in the All-Star game. He was showing the world that he was an incredible scorer. Which every team would die for. Which is why the Jazz decided to extend his contract. Because they know that if they let him walk, they would lose the trade. Or worse, they would realize that the Jazz cannot replace his talent.

Finding another star is difficult. It is all about luck and how well you land on talent. How the players would work ethic-wise. So, it makes complete sense why they would extend Lauri. A player at that level doesn't land in your franchise every day. And letting a player walk away for nothing is foolish. It only made sense that they paid the former All-Star all that money. Keeping him locked on a long deal will give the Jazz more breathing room to make moves.

The Jazz can continue to suck while Lauri plays like an All-Star. The Jazz have a lot of young players like Keyonte George, who showed a lot of potential in his rookie season. They also drafted two young players, Cody Williams and Taylor Hendricks. They are both 20 years old. The Jazz can develop their young players. Their All-Star can boost his trade value. A lot of fans are overreacting, like the Jazz will all of a sudden become title contenders with this deal. The Jazz knows that they can tank for years to come. While also knowing that there could be a chance that they could not get a better player than Lauri. There is a lot of breathing room for the organization.

I am a fan of this extension. The Jazz tried to get a deal, but they could not. They know they cannot allow him to walk away empty-handed. So they made a contract to which Lauri could not say no. A player in the middle of his prime could continue to rack up a couple more All-Star selections. Or continue being a top-30 player in the league. Teams will get desperate to become contenders. Teams will knock on the Jazz's door in the hopes that they can get their hands on the Finnish Star. Along with a young coach in Will Hardy who can develop the young core. It is a huge win-win. Both parties got what they wanted. Credit to the front office that did not bite. No overreaction from Danny Ainge and co. They would play the long game. Instead of making a trade that would not equal the value of their franchise player. They decided to extend and bring more oxygen to their organization. While they continue to build up their young talent with a lot of potential.

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