The 2023-24 NBA season is well underway. Doesn’t time fly? It feels like just recently we were dismissing sample sizes as being too small to matter.
Now, we’re reaching a point in the season where we can see how these teams really are. That doesn’t mean that teams can’t change. They can. The season is still young.
With that said, teams who have been disappointing have to at least be considering making moves. Should the Utah Jazz be thinking about a major trade?
Sure. That doesn’t necessarily mean trading Lauri Markkanen – he’s young enough to hang onto. With that said, if they got the right offer, they could be tempted to move him.
Should the Sacramento Kings make that offer?
NBA Trade Proposal: Sacramento Kings Land Utah Jazz’s Lauri Markkanen
Utah Jazz Receive: F Harrison Barnes, 2026 First-Round Pick (SAC), 2028 First-Round Pick (SAC), 2030 First-Round Pick (SAC)
Sacramento Kings Receive: F Lauri Markkanen
Disappointing results shouldn’t confirm anything yet. They’re worth considering, but teams could easily justify letting more of the season play out before making choices.
On the other hand, teams that are performing to expectations are, by now, probably who we thought they’d be. Take the Kings. This team is good. We knew they’d be good, and they are.
We also know that they’re probably not title contenders. The Kings are the same high-octane offensive team with defensive limitations we saw last year.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Lauri Markkanen, Utah Jazz, Sacramento Kings Updates
What should the Kings do? They’ve got the assets to make a major trade. Some will suggest that they should go all-in for an elite defender.
Could they acquire Markkanen instead?
Why The Sacramento Kings Do The Deal
Sure. After all, Markkanen isn’t a defensive liability. He’s roughly average. More broadly, he’s big. Markkanen can disrupt shots at the rim from the weak side.
Functionally, he’s a good fit alongside Domantas Sabonis. On the offensive end, he’s an excellent fit. Markkanen is a knockdown shooter who can create his own offense from scratch.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Lauri Markkanen, Utah Jazz, Sacramento Kings Updates
That’s exactly the type of player that this system needs. Does this deal get the Kings in the title picture? That might be a long shot, but they’ll be awfully dangerous.
Should the Jazz help them get stronger?
Why The Utah Jazz Do The Deal
The Jazz already have one of the best collections of draft capital in the NBA. Meanwhile, they’ve got a losing record. In some respects, this writes itself. The Jazz’s path forward is obvious.
Isn’t it? Some will disagree. They’ll say Markkanen is only 26. Elite talent is hard to come by for the small market Jazz. They’ll say the path forward is obvious – hang onto Markkanen at all costs.
Far. On the other hand, the team is headed nowhere. The Jazz might be smarter to prioritize landing a franchise player in the draft – that means tanking.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Lauri Markkanen, Utah Jazz, Sacramento Kings Updates
Once they land that player, they’ll have an incredible asset base to trade for his co-star with. If the Jazz keep losing as the sample size increases, they’ll have to consider moving Markkanen.
