Lauri Markkanen reminded NBA fans why he is one of the most underrated players in the NBA with a brilliant EuroBasket warm-up performance.
Lauri Markkanen has quietly been one of the NBA’s bright young prospects for some time now. The Utah Jazz forward has shown his skill whenever he is on the court.
Despite a snake-bitten first stint with the Chicago Bulls, Markkanen came into his own on the Utah Jazz, even earning All-Star plaudits in 2023.
However, injury problems, coupled with the Jazz’s lack of competitive ambition, have caused him to play less and generally go under the radar.
Markkanen is a player who could be traded this season. Given that he is in his prime, Markkanen is an attractive target for competitive teams.
While the Warriors failed to land Markkanen in 2024, another team might be successful. But after watching his performance for Finland, fans think the Jazz might up his asking price.
Lauri Markkanen and Finland played against the Belgian national team as part of a EuroBasket preparation game.
Markkanen scored an impressive 48 points to lead Finland to a 105-62 win over Belgium. Fans were in awe of Markkanen’s brilliant outing.
One fan simply wrote, “NBA skill difference versus worldwide is crazy.”
While another fan poked fun at Golden State, writing, “The Warriors missed out.”
One NBA fan was astounded at how quickly Markkanen went off, asking, “In forty minutes????”
While a fan pointed out his lack of success in Utah, noting, “And he’s there wasting away in Utah…”
While another fan lamented Markkanen’s NBA career, saying, “It sucks that Lauri Markkanen has never played a playoff game in his career.”
In that same vein, one NBA fan called for a trade, claiming, “I’m surprised no championship-caliber team hasn’t gone after him. Celtics should try to trade Anfernee for him.”
Given how well Lauri Markkanen did with Finland and how well he could do with them at EuroBasket, the Utah Jazz should consider trading him.
The Jazz are still in the midst of a rebuild. Despite Markkanen’s strong performances, the Jazz haven’t made any waves in the Western Conference.
If anything, Markkanen’s performances get in the way of their goal to tank. The Jazz shut Markkanen down last season to avoid winning games in their quest to get a good draft pick.
Plus, for a player like Markkanen, he must have some ambition to compete for an NBA championship in his career.
There is little reason for both sides to continue together, and a trade should be a priority, as the Jazz look to build around Ace Bailey.
