Why The Utah Jazz Do The Deal 

By contrast, the Jazz may want to hold off on this deal. They may. 

On the one hand, if Markkanen sustains his current level of play, he may be a cornerstone player. Tanking to land one in the draft may be senseless if the Jazz already have one. If Markkanen was able to lead this young team to the playoffs, that would be an excellent season for the Jazz. 

At the same time, suppose Markkanen regresses. In that event, the Jazz would have missed an opportunity to sell high on him. This team may want to move off of Markannen while his value is still at a peak level. 

If they did, this would be a great return. Another extra selection in 2023 gives the Jazz options – since they already own the Wolves’ pick, they could package those selections to move up if they had their eye on a player.

LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Lauri Markkanen, Utah Jazz & Miami Heat Updates

On the other hand, the 2027 swap is also valuable – the Heat may be on the decline, and by that time, the Jazz should be on the upswing. If this swap conveys, this will look like a great deal for Utah in hindsight. 

It may even put them in a position to get off to a hot start that’s sustainable in the future.