Often, NBA teams make plans based on their future draft situation. A team’s collection of picks can inform plenty of their decisions. Does your team have a deep collection of other teams’ picks? That’s great. Do they have their own picks?
If not, they’re a candidate to trade those picks. Just look at the Brooklyn Nets. They owe their own picks to the Houston Rockets through to 2027. With no incentive to tank, they could end up trading their deep collection of draft capital to improve.
On the other hand, the Utah Jazz have a similarly impressive collection of draft capital. They owe their pick out this year, but otherwise, they control their own draft moving forward as well. Could that motivate them to trade Lauri Markkanen to the Brooklyn Nets and improve their collection of first-round picks?
The Trade Proposal
Utah Jazz Receive: G Spencer Dinwiddie, 2025 First-Round Pick (PHX via BKN), 2027 First-Round Pick (PHI via BKN), 2029 First-Round Pick (DAL via BKN)
Brooklyn Nets Receive: F/C Lauri Markkanen
In fact, both of these teams have had similar recent histories. It’s almost ironic: could Brooklyn and Utah be any different as markets?
In fact, that small market in Salt Lake City may have doomed the last iteration of the Jazz. Donovan Mitchell seemed to have wandering eyes. His relationship with Rudy Gobert began to disintegrate. Eventually, the Jazz would trade them both for pick-heavy packages.
NBA TRADES, NEWS & RUMORS: Lauri Markkanen, Utah Jazz & Brooklyn Nets Updates
Yet, a big market isn’t always enough to keep stars together. Look at the Nets. It’s the same story: they had stars, the stars grew unhappy, and they traded them for first-round picks. Should they turn around and trade some of those picks for Markkanen?
Why The Brooklyn Nets Do The Deal
It doesn’t have to be Markkanen, but the point stands: eventually, the Nets should trade some of their picks for a star. They practically don’t have any other choice.
Suppose the Nets are the worst team in the NBA next year. Houston Rockets fans will be the ones celebrating. The Nets will be sending them a pick that’s guaranteed to convey in the top-5. In fact, it doesn’t matter where the Nets finish: the Rockets take their pick.
NBA TRADES, NEWS & RUMORS: Lauri Markkanen, Utah Jazz & Brooklyn Nets Updates
So, they might as well assemble the best team that they can. Markkanen feels like a natural fit. His floor spacing will offset Nic Claxton’s lack thereof, and Claxton’s versatile defense will mitigate any issues Markkanen has on that end. Meanwhile, Markkanen and Mikal Bridges should make for a competitive 1-2 punch. Should the Jazz help the Nets put them together?
Why The Utah Jazz Do The Deal
Meanwhile, every draft is not created equal. The 2023 class is regarded as one of the most exciting in recent memory. By contrast, the 2024 class is considered relatively weak.
That’s fine for Utah. They owe their next pick to the Oklahoma City Thunder with top-10 protection anyway. If they make this deal, they’ll probably keep that pick, but that’s not the point here.
NBA TRADES, NEWS & RUMORS: Lauri Markkanen, Utah Jazz & Brooklyn Nets Updates
The Jazz should be aiming to be at the league’s bottom for 2025. That’s Cooper Flagg’s class. Even if they miss on the young prodigy, they’ll have four picks in that draft if they make this deal. That sounds like a plan worth making to us.
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