Lauri Markkanen has blossomed into a much better player since departing from the Cleveland Cavaliers as a part of the trade that landed Donovan Mitchell. The Utah Jazz have not done anywhere close to enough for the Finnish star to compete for anything of relevance since.
2025-26 will be Markkanen's fourth season with the Jazz. They have not even been involved in the NBA Play-In Tournament since his arrival. That is such a shame considering how good Lauri was for Utah immediately.
Markkanen's first season with the Jazz featured an immediate statistical explosion, averaging 25.6 points and 8.6 rebounds in 34.4 minutes per game, shooting 49.9 percent from the field and 39.1 percent from beyond the arc. That production earned him the first and only All-Star appearance of his career to go with the Most Improved Player award.
Markkanen has remained a really good NBA player, and has even shown early signs of elevating himself to a new level during the start of the 2025-26 season. The longer the Jazz continue to remain a non-factor in the Western Conference, the more everyone will want to see him leave Utah.
Lauri Markkanen deserves better than being stuck in Utah
Markkanen has enjoyed several impressive individual outings to start this campaign. That includes a 51-point explosion against the Phoenix Suns. The strong beginning to the new NBA year comes off the back of an impressive run at EuroBasket 2025.
The Finnish forward averaged 23.1 points, 8.1 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 2.1 steals per game, leading his country just short of a medal that no one expected them to be competing for. Markkanen's star power shined bright throughout the entire tournament for Finland.
After that success, the 28-year-old return to his perpetual rebuilding team in the NBA. With Markkanen right in the middle of his prime, one cannot help but wonder how his skills would translate to a squad with proper aspirations.
The main problem with that thought may be the player himself. Rather, it would be his current contract.
Markkanen signed a hefty extension with Utah. The former top-10 pick locked in a deal for four years, earning close to $196 million. The Jazz forward is a great player, but that is a steep price to pay for his talents in the current CBA climate.
A contending team would greatly benefit from Markkanen's skill set. However, can a true championship winner be built around him at that dollar value?
Those Cavaliers fans who enjoyed watching Markkanen during his time in Cleveland will hope that opportunity comes for him. The former Cavaliers forward deserves a shot to elevate his career past the distinction of being a good player on a bad team.