Lauri Markkanen is not going anyplace.
On Wednesday, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported the All-Star ahead has signed a five-year, $238M contract extension with the Utah Jazz.
By holding onto Markkanen, the Jazz are signaling their perception in a younger core that options latest first-round picks Cody Williams and Isaiah Collier.
With the attract of the play-in match, the Jazz might be eyeing a future because the tenth seed within the playoffs, the place the younger and offensively gifted staff might be harmful. Utah (31-51) completed twelfth within the Western Convention final season and didn’t make the postseason.
This offseason, Markkanen — the NBA’s 2022-2023 Most Improved Participant — had been related to the San Antonio Spurs and Golden State Warriors.
Markkanen has considerably improved in his two seasons with Utah, the place he has averaged 24.5 factors and eight.4 rebounds. Within the 5 earlier seasons earlier than his commerce to the Jazz from Cleveland, he by no means averaged greater than 18.7 factors.
Regardless of exhibiting promise early in his profession, Markkanen by no means clicked with the Chicago Bulls, who acquired him after he was drafted by Minnesota with the seventh total choose in 2017. (He by no means performed for the Timberwolves.)
In his 4 seasons with Chicago, he averaged 15.6 factors and seven.1 rebounds and shot .509 from the ground.
In August 2021, Markkanen signed a multi-year contract as a part of a sign-and-trade cope with the Cleveland Cavaliers. He performed one season for the Cavs earlier than his commerce to the Jazz as a part of the Donovan Mitchell deal in September 2022.
Even with the sturdy play of Markkanen, the Jazz have struggled since final making the playoffs in 2021-22.
Offensively, the Jazz completed eleventh final season in scoring, averaging 115.7 factors. Nonetheless, the staff struggled mightily on protection, surrendering 120.5 PPG, the second-worst determine within the league.
With Markkanen again within the fold, the Jazz have a greater probability to make the playoffs and to enhance defensively.
