What a difference a good draft day does!
A month ago, I asked Utah Jazz fans if they would trade Lauri Markkanen to trade up in the NBA Draft, and a majority of fans said they would. It’s a clear view of what some good fortune can do for Jazz fans. After a tumultuous lead-up to the draft, the Jazz drafted Ace Bailey. Without question, the Jazz are in a much better position, and that may have changed how Jazz fans view the upcoming season.
In our latest Utah Jazz Reacts, I asked Jazz fans if they would trade Lauri Markkanen again. This time, it wasn’t a majority yes.
This could come down to a number of factors. Maybe Jazz fans are just tired of seeing veterans traded? Maybe they don’t value what the picks they could get now are versus a trade-up in the draft? Or maybe they just flat out don’t want to trade Markkanen.
Either way, it is an interesting decision for the Jazz. Markkanen doesn’t match Utah’s timeline, but maybe that won’t matter. For me, the risk is potentially missing out on next year’s pick and a chance to draft an elite prospect to pair with Ace Bailey. It may be fine with Markkanen, even though I don’t think “you will still lose a lot with Markkanen” is the narrative you want with your star player. Right now, Utah’s odds on Fanduel are the second worst in the league to make the playoffs.
We’ll see what happens with the Jazz as the season goes along. There will be a lot of upcoming trade rumors surrounding him, but this will be the story to watch as training camp gets closer.