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Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen is reportedly receiving interest from the Minnesota Timberwolves and Sacramento Kings, per Yahoo Sports’ Jake Fischer.
Fischer also noted that Jazz “are indeed welcoming calls” for Markkanen, meaning he could be placed in a trade at some point this offseason.
The interest from the Wolves and Kings comes amid buzz there is interest in Markkanen from both the Golden State Warriors and San Antonio Spurs—a pair of teams who are likely on the outside looking in when it comes to playoff contention next season.
Markkanen, 27 and heading into his eighth season, has developed into an All-Star caliber player since joining the Jazz ahead of the 2022-23 season. Last year, he put up 23.2 points and 8.2 rebounds per game while guiding a struggling Jazz team.
Markkanen will earn $18.04 million this season before entering free agency a year from now.
It’s fair to say adding Markkanen could turn the Timberwolves into an NBA Finals favorite after reaching the Western Conference Finals last season. Minnesota had the top defensive rating during the 2023-24 season, per NBA.com, but had a middling offense for most of the year.
Adding the 7’0″ shooter would aid the Timberwolves on both sides of the ball as they search for their first championship in franchise history.
The Kings would likely need more than the addition of Markkanen to be considered Finals contenders, but trading for him could be the missing piece to get back into the playoffs after losing in the play-in tournament last season.
Golden State is looking to supplement its roster after moving on from veteran shooting guard Klay Thompson, who signed with the Dallas Mavericks on Monday. The Warriors can still be a playoff contender behind star Steph Curry, but it will likely take adding an All-Star-level player like Markkanen.
The Spurs are also seemingly gearing up to make a run at the playoffs in the second year of the Victor Wembanyama era. San Antonio added veteran point guard Chris Paul in free agency and could likely be a playoff-caliber team with the addition of Markkanen.
With the Jazz listening to offers for Markkanen, it could indicate the team is shifting toward a rebuild following the Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert era. Utah reportedly eyed a trade for Mikal Bridges in an effort to lure Paul George to the team, but that plan didn’t come to fruition.
The Jazz have been otherwise quiet this offseason, but it seems they could soon look to deal Markkanen, perhaps in exchange for younger pieces or picks to start a rebuild.
