Could Golden State land the big man?
The Athletic’s Shams Karania reported on Saturday (June 16) that the Golden State Warriors and Utah Jazz are in talks to trade Lauri Markkanen. According to the report, Utah wants Brandin Pogiemski, Jonathan Cuminga, and Moses Moody in exchange for Makanen, along with a number of draft picks.
That’s a lot of money. Pogiemski, Kuminga, and Moody are pretty much the entirety of Golden State’s prospects. Plus, draft picks, which are worth their weight in gold these days. That’s a lot of picks for one of 파워볼실시간 Golden State’s pillars.
Unsurprisingly, Golden State rejected Utah’s offer. The package Golden State offered Utah was Moody and multiple first-round picks. This time around, Utah had no choice but to refuse.
Makanen is one of the best offensive forwards in the NBA. Makanen came to Utah in the Donovan Mitchell trade from the Cleveland Cavaliers. In Utah, Makanen developed into an ace. In the 2022-2023 season, he averaged 25.6 points and 8.6 rebounds, earning his first All-Star selection, and in the 2023-2024 season, he averaged 23.2 points and 8.2 rebounds.
Makanen is a big man with a knack for the three-point shot and a great BQ for a European player. He’s a perfect fit for Golden State’s offense.
The Warriors continued to look to add forward depth this offseason. Their top target was Paul George, but the LA Clippers didn’t want to send him to Golden State, and the deal fell through. Now, Makanen is the only All-Star-caliber forward left on the trade market.
Golden State lost franchise star Klay Thompson to free agency. Thompson had an up-and-down season, but he was the Warriors’ most reliable scorer behind Curry. The team is clearly weakened.
Golden State can make one last push when Steph Curry and Draymond Green are healthy. Golden State fans want that, too.
The key is the price. Utah president Danny Ainge is notoriously difficult in trade negotiations. His tenacious negotiations with his former team, the Boston Celtics, helped build the current Boston roster. He’ll be looking to get a solid piece for Makanen.
The problem is that Makanen has one year left on his contract. Makanen will become a free agent after the 2024-2025 season. If Utah plays it wrong, they could get nothing for Makanen.
The player Utah wants most is Pogiemski. Pogiemski is a second-year player who was selected in the 2023 NBA Draft, so his salary is cheap. Kuminga, on the other hand, will be a free agent after the 2024-2025 season. At his current rate of growth, Kuminga is likely to receive a huge contract. That’s not going to be appealing to Utah.
Golden State will definitely want to keep Kuminga and Pogiemski. Utah will likely want Pogiemski for sure. There is still a lot of time before the start of the 2024-2025 season. The negotiations between the two teams are likely to be protracted.
Which team”s jersey will Makanen wear next season?
