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San Antonio Spurs receive: Lauri Markkanen
Utah Jazz receive: Keldon Johnson, Malakhi Branham, 2025 first-round pick (top-three protected), 2025 first-round pick (via ATL), 2029 first-round pick, 2030 first-round pick (via DAL) and 2026 first-round pick swap (via ATL)
The Jazz didn’t sound super eager to move Markkanen earlier this offseason, but if Mikal Bridges can draw five first-round picks in this trade market, Utah has to keep its ears open. And that’s exactly what’s happening in Salt Lake City, as ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported the Jazz are “listening” to trade offers for Markkanen (via RealGM).
The Spurs are reportedly among the 7-footer’s suitors, per Yahoo Sports’ Jake Fischer, and they certainly have the assets to make something happen if they want to fast-forward things around ascending superstar Victor Wembanyama. Markkanen, who turned 27 in May, could be an ideal costar for the fact he could help raise the franchise’s floor but isn’t so old that it would put immediate win-right-now pressure on the young centerpiece.
A Wembanyama-Markkanen frontcourt would be a bastion of size, length and two-way skill. Each brings paint-to-the-perimeter scoring, on- and off-ball utility and enough defensive versatility to pester players of nearly all sizes and play styles.
Let Chris Paul properly position this pair for greatness for a year, and something special could be brewing in San Antonio sooner than later.
The Jazz could certainly try haggling for additional picks, but there’s a lot of quality here. The Hawks could self-destruct at any moment, so having control of their next two drafts would be enormous. The Mavericks are fully invested in the present and could pay for it in the future. The Spurs may not click right away (they just lost 60 games, after all) and who knows how their roster will have taken shape five years from now.
Utah might initially request Devin Vassell, but negotiating down to Johnson and Branham might satisfy both sides. The Spurs would retain their best current fit with Wembanyama, while the Jazz would maximize their draft pick return by accepting two different prospects, both of whom are under 25 and creative and capable on the offensive end.
