Amidst a lot of talks heading into the offseason that he is likely to be traded to another team, Lauri Markkanen shuts down all of the rumors with his massive signing that will see him call Salt Lake City his home for the next five years at the very least, closing the doors on all potential suitors in the league.

Markkanen signed a five-year, $238 million deal that extends his stay with Utah that will ultimately make him ineligible for trades in the entirety of the 2024-25 season. The big man was already in the final year of his contract and has been highly involved in many trade rumors that will see the Jazz focus on different core players instead.

Offering Markkanen an extension means that Utah is clearly committed to building around the forward, and it cannot be denied that there are many expectations as to how the team will now focus on making sure that they get back to playoff contention now more than ever.

Building Around Markkanen

For Utah, finishing 31-51 in the 2023-24 season wasn’t a good note considering that they did have a healthy squad for most of the season, and being unable to make the most of it certainly felt like they needed to make some moves in the offseason to keep their chances alive in the years to come. For starters, ensuring that they will have their centerpiece in Markkanen is a massive priority.

Markkanen had the best season of his career back in 2022-23, where he averaged 25.6 points and 8.6 rebounds while shooting 39.1% from three. He would go on to earn his first All-Star nod en route to winning the NBA's Most Improved Player award in the same year. The previous season was not so different at all considering that he averaged 23.2 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 2.0 assists while shooting 48% from the field, including 39.9% from three.

The Jazz will no longer be able to put Markkanen on the trading market after re-signing him as per the rules of the NBA’s collective bargaining agreement. Markkanen has been the most valuable piece that ever came out of the Mitchell and Gobert trades, which led to three first-rounders and two first-round swaps.

Keeping the Prized Player

Lauri Markkanen has been the best player in the Jazz roster for years, and at the age of 27, his approach of being a borderline star is expected to thrive in the team considering how well they found out some impressive strides in the past few months before they actually fell out of the playoff race.

According to head coach Will Hardy, Markkanen’s value cannot be dismissed by any team at this point, especially with his massive improvement in the game.

"Lauri's done such a good job of continuing to work on different ways he can impact the game offensively," head coach Will Hardy said of Markkanen. "Obviously he's shown the ability to shoot the ball. … But the physicality he's been able to play with, to drive the ball and as a screener, has given him the opportunity to score in a variety of ways."

Markkanen’s extension deal with the Jazz slams the door shut in various rumors that he will be traded. Among the biggest suitors said to be making a push for his services were the Golden State Warriors, and now they have to turn their focus to another player on their list instead.