August 6. Lauri Markkanen is now eligible to sign an extension with the Utah Jazz. It’s also now or never for the Golden State Warriors whose dream of landing the 2023 All-Star must come to fruition over the next few days.
The growing belief is that Markkanen will re-negotiate and extend his contract with the Jazz on August 7 or beyond, ensuring he can’t be moved until next offseason. So the Warriors could just pick up negotiations again at that point right? Wrong.
The Golden State Warriors hopes of ever landing Lauri Markkanen hinges on the next 24-48 hours before a contract extension is agreed upon
If there’s this idea that they’ll be able to have another crack at trading for Markkanen in just under 12 months, that’s an ill-advised dream that will almost be impossible for a variety of factors.
The facts — Markkanen will be on a far greater contract than the current $18.1 million he’s scheduled to make next season, making the salary-matching for a potential trade next offseason so much more difficult. Stephen Curry will also be 37-years-old next offseason and as much as we hate to admit it, one year closer to the end of his career.
Then you have all the machinations of how an entire season could impact the trade landscape this time next year. What’s the guarantee that Utah would even listen to Markkanen offers next season depending on how their 2024-25 campaign pans out? How may Golden State’s form impact the forecast on their future draft capital that’s likely to be a huge centerpiece of a trade?
What about Markkanen’s own form next season? Does he take another step and become an even more valuable player under a long-term contract, or is his value reduced by some combination of poor form, injuries and the new extension?
These are all questions yet to be answered, leaving the next 24-48 hours as the critical (and perhaps only) time for the Warriors to complete a trade for Markkanen. If they can’t strike a deal with the Jazz now, it’s essentially conceding that Markkanen — likely a perfect on-court fit for the franchise — will never be seen in a Golden State uniform.
