Lauri Markkanen is reportedly planning to postpone signing his contract with the Utah Jazz so he can be traded through the 2024-25 NBA season, according to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports.
Although Markkanen is eligible to sign his extension with Utah on Tuesday, he is waiting until Wednesday or later to put on his new jersey, making him ineligible for trade next season.
According to the collective bargaining agreement, Markkanen will not be eligible for sale for six months after his new contract. This will go down one day after the Feb. trade deadline. 6.
All indications are that Lauri Markkanen will not sign any extension with Utah until after he is eligible to play again with the Jazz tomorrow, league sources said. @YahooSportsruling the talented 27-year-old off the trade market for the 2024-25 season:
– Jake Fischer (@JakeLFischer) August 5, 2024
This means that if the 2023 All-Star waits at least one day and signs a new deal on Wednesday or later, Utah will not be able to trade him until the end of the 2024-25 season.
On Tuesday, Markkanen will be eligible for a contract extension that would increase his 2024-25 salary from $18 million. His salary for next season was fully confirmed in June.
Lauri Markkanen who is waiting to sign a contract extension with the Utah Jazz will end any possible trade
ESPN's Bobby Marks and Tim MacMahon reported Monday that the Golden State Warriors have been the “most aggressive” suitors for the forward on the trade market.
However, the Warriors and Jazz are not “closer” to a potential deal in negotiations. Utah remains interested in Golden State guard Brandon Podziemski. However, the Warriors have been “very protective” of the 21-year-old, according to Marks and MacMahon.
Additionally, NBA analyst Marc Stein reported Sunday that the Warriors' trade proposals for Lauri Markkanen did not include Podziemski or forward Jonathan Kuminga.
In Markkanen's first season with the Jazz in 2022-23, he won the NBA Most Improved Player of the Year after averaging 25.6 points, 8.7 field goals, and 34.4 minutes per game. He also shot a career-best 49.9% from the floor and a then-career-best 87.5% from the free throw line.
Additionally, in Utah's 131-114 win over the Houston Rockets on Jan. 5, 2023, the unit scored a career-high 49 points in 37 minutes of action. He shot 15-of-27 (55.6%) from the field and drained six 3-pointers.
In 55 games (all starts) with the Jazz last season, he averaged 23.2 points, 8.2 rebounds, a career-high 2.0 assists, and 33.1 minutes per contest. The Arizona product shot 48% from the floor, 39.9% from 3-point range, and a career-best 89.9% from the foul line as well.
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