On Tuesday, Shams Charania of The Athletic reported that the Utah Jazz were nearing a long-term contract extension with forward Lauri Markkanen, meaning that the Golden State Warriors were out of the running for the one-time All-Star.
It was further revealed that the Warriors made the “most aggressive offer” to the Jazz in a possible trade for Markkanen, but Golden State was unwilling to part with one particular guard.
The Dubs have already said goodbye to five-time All-Star shooting guard Klay Thompson in a monster six-team trade that landed them sharpshooter Buddy Hield this offseason.
Markkanen would’ve given the team another strong scoring option alongside Stephen Curry. The 2022-23 Most Improved Player of the Year led Utah in points (23.2) and minutes (33.1) per game last season across 55 contests while finishing second to John Collins in rebounds (8.2) per tilt. Markkanen averaged a career-high 2.0 assists and posted a .480/.399/.899 shooting line as well.
The Warriors selected Brandin Podziemski as the 19th overall pick in 2023, and he exceeded expectations, earning first-team All-Rookie honors. Podziemski picked up the slack when offseason acquisition Chris Paul missed 21 games across January and February due to a fractured left hand.
The young lefty finished the season second on the team in rebounds (5.8) per game across 74 contests (28 starts) and averaged 9.2 points, 3.7 assists and 26.6 minutes.
Podziemski is only 21 years old, and he and 2021 first-round picks Jonathan Kuminga (21 years old) and Moses Moody (22) give the team a nice balance of youth with their aging core of Curry (36) and Draymond Green (34).
