The Golden State Warriors Are Favorites To Acquire Lauri Markkanen
According to Bovada, the Warriors are +205 favorites to sign the power forward
With only two teams left competing in the NBA, many teams are preparing for the next season. After a challenging playoff run that ended in the Western Conference semifinals, the Golden State Warriors are a team that is expected to be active this summer.
According to the online sportsbook Bovada, the Warriors are +205 favorites in acquiring Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen in a trade.
Markkanen would be a perfect match for the Warriors
The main area where the Warriors had trouble this season involved offense.
This year, they averaged 113.8 points and finished with an offensive rating of 115.0. This is the lowest the franchise has averaged since 2022, when they logged 111.0 points per game.
Should the Warriors successfully acquire Markkanen, it would greatly improve their offensive capabilities. Throughout his eight-year career, Markkanen has established himself as an elite scorer who can shoot above the 3-point line. For his career, he is averaging 18.2 points while shooting 37.1% from the 3-point line.
However, he played his best basketball while in Utah. During his three years with the Jazz, Markkanen averaged a career-high 23.0 points while shooting 38.0% from the 3-point line.
Acquiring Markkanen would be a tough task
Although the Warriors would prefer to have Markkanen on their roster, it is unlikely.
On Aug. 7, 2024, Markkanen signed a five-year contract extension worth $238 million. Right now, the Warriors are a hard-capped franchise, which limits the amount of money they can spend on an individual player.
If both teams decide to process a trade, the Warriors will likely have to give up a package that includes Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and Moses Moody. Regarding the Jazz, they will need to trade John Collins in addition to Markkanen.
Considering that both teams will have to sacrifice key players, the possibility of this trade taking place is doubtful.
Cory Nelson is a contributor to The Lead. He attended Northern Virginia Community College. He can be reached at corymckenzienelson@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter @CKenzyNelson, Instagram @ckenzynelson, and Threads @ckenzynelson