There's been plenty of speculation that the Utah Jazz may move Lauri Markkanen this offseason. Whether that happens or not, Markkanen's former teammate and ex-Jazzman Malik Beasley half-jokingly insinuated that he could bring the Finnisher to Motown.
For context, Jake Weinbach listed the Detroit Pistons among the possible teams that could consider acquiring Markkanen this offseason.
The Heat, Pistons, Sixers, and Spurs are among the teams that could check-in on Lauri Markkanen’s availability this summer.
It’s unclear if the Jazz are willing to entertain offers on the All-Star forward, but there should be firm interest in Markkanen’s services once again.
— Jake Weinbach (@JWeinbachNBA) June 7, 2025
The Instagram account "Pistons Talk" aggregated Weinbach's tweet, to which Beasley himself commented, "We have ties I can make it happen." Beasley's comment should be taken as a joke. However, jokes like that come with a hint of seriousness.
In other words, even though he's kidding here, Beasley likely would like to re-join forces with Markkanen in Detroit because the Pistons are coming off the best season they've had in well over a decade and the Jazz star could take them to even bigger heights next season if the Pistons got their hands on him.
The Jazz acquired Markkanen and Beasley in the same offseason because of their trades involving Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert. Beasley only lasted half the 2022-23 season with the Jazz before they traded him to the Lakers.
Beasley appeared to be a journeyman in the making before really catching on in Detroit, where he became a Sixth Man of the Year candidate and a Most Improved Player candidate. His improvement also factored in why the Pistons became one of the most fun teams to watch. His comments also insinuate that he will re-sign in Detroit.
The Pistons may have gotten eliminated in the first round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs, but their outlook is very positive for the first time in a while. It's obvious that they will strike while the iron is hot this offseason. Markkanen would make sense for them. The only hangup is that the Jazz will not make it easy for Detroit to acquire him.
It's difficult to see how the Pistons could get Markkanen
Markkanen makes all the sense in the world for Detroit, but there's no way Utah wouldn't play hardball in a potential trade. In other words, if the Pistons want him, the Jazz would set the price at Ausar Thompson at a minimum. For how good Markkanen is when he's on his A-game, the Pistons would understandably not throw him in such a deal like that after the electric sophomore year he just had.
Besides Cade Cunningham, Thompson has the highest ceiling on their roster, which could be higher than Markkanen's. The Pistons also have other young players who would interest the Jazz, like Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren, who the Pistons might be a little more willing to throw in. Utah would know that Detroit wants to level up, and Markkanen's a player who can do that for them.
It goes without saying that Detroit would want a player of Markkanen's caliber without having to give up a potential franchise cornerstone. Maybe the Jazz would lower their price, but all the intel that has come about a potential Markkanen trade has shown that they will not dump him.
The Jazz star might not be on Utah long-term and could be fantastic for the Pistons, but it's difficult to fathom how both sides could agree to a deal.