Another likely obstacle that should be factored into the persistent Markkanen-
to-Detroit speculation: Utah would almost certainly want Thompson in return.
Sources say that the Jazz, in fact, considered trading up to select him during
the 2023 NBA Draft.
The Pistons, as you can imagine, do not want to trade their Thompson twin.
The Jazz hope to be competitive in 2026-27 and have signaled to rival teams
that any trade offers they are prepared to consider — whether they target
Markkanen or otherwise — have to keep them competitive. Utah, in other
words, is not looking for a repeat of the Rudy Gobert or Donovan Mitchell
deals that focused on stockpiling draft compensation. Markkanen indeed
became an All-Star after Utah acquired him and it’s believed that the Jazz
greatly value his capability to lead them back to postseason play.