The NBA, much like a reality television program, thrives off drama. Few aspects of basketball create more of it than trade rumors, speculation, and gossip. One player who should be front and center of that in 2025-26 is former Cleveland Cavaliers forward Lauri Markkanen.
Cleveland dealt Markkanen away as a part of the package that brought Donovan Mitchell to the Cavaliers. When the former lottery pick got an opportunity to be in a starring role for the Utah Jazz, Markkanen thrived.
The Finnish forward finally showcased his full potential in his first season with the Jazz, emerging as an All-Star caliber talent. Since that moment, Utah has not done anywhere close to enough to build up the foundation around their star.
It has not taken long for his name to be brought up in trade buzz ahead of the new season. Markkanen was the first name listed by NBA insider Chris Mannix when assessing who were the names to watch before this year's trade deadline.
Mannix wrote, "Lauri Markkanen is the name I hear most frequently. Utah passed on an offer from Golden State [Warriors] for Markkanen in the summer of 2024, believing a stronger market would materialize. ... Now there is a belief that the Jazz are very open for business on their 28-year-old."
Lauri Markkanen quickly becoming a must-watch trade name
Watching Markkanen dominate at EuroBasket 2025 quickly reminded everyone how good the former All-Star forward is. The Finnish frontcourt man averaged 23.1 points, fourth most at the tournament, while shooting 50.5 percent from the field.
That tremendous play helped lead his country to a surprising appearance in the bronze medal game at the tournament, securing several upsets along the way. Markkanen's trade stock was suddenly soaring.
For his part, Danny Ainge has denied that his star would inevitably be traded. Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune documented his response to the rumors.
Ainge said, "Huge fan of Lauri. Lauri’s awesome. He’s really good, and Lauri could and hopefully is part of our next team when we’re going up.”
The problem here for Utah would be asking how long until the team is indeed ascending again. The Western Conference is stacked, and Markkanen is 28 years old. By the time this team is likely to be a contender once more, the high-scoring forward could be trending downward.
At that point, the Jazz will be selling low, or at least lower than what they could be getting now. That is a troubling thought considering the massive contract Markkanen possesses that will be paying him an average salary of around $49 million through the end of the 2028-29 season.
Perhaps the Cavaliers may even consider a reunion, if they want to alter the formula in Cleveland. It is certainly not the most outrageous thought, but ultimately would be unlikely due to Koby Altman's willingness to ride out this core four experience.
Whether the Cavaliers throw themselves into the mix or not, Markkanen should be a name that has everyone's attention until February. Knowing the history here of Ainge, it could push into the offseason once more.