GettyLauri Markkanen

The Golden State Warriors have attempted to trade for Lauri Markkanen without giving away all of their assets and young talent, but lurking competition for the 7-footer could push the Dubs out of the conversation altogether if they aren’t careful.

Both the San Antonio Spurs and Sacramento Kings were potential Markkanen destinations this summer, as were the Oklahoma City Thunder. However, Anthony Slater of The Athletic reported on July 11 that the Warriors appear the most determined to land Markkanen, and thus are the most likely destination should the Utah Jazz ultimately decide to move him.

“They are in this Lauri Markkanen stalled hunt, basically,” Slater said during the July 11 edition of the “Warriors Plus-Minus” podcast. “I think they’re probably the premier team that has had the best package on the table. I think if Lauri Markkanen had been traded at this point, we all agree it would be the Warriors. The Kings have bowed out, Spurs don’t seem as thirsty, that’s one of the biggest things that’s happened to the Warriors — [and Oklahoma City] has pivoted.”

While the Thunder traded for Alex Caruso and added Isaiah Hartenstein in free agency, positioning themselves as top competitors in the Western Conference, Greg Swartz of Bleacher Report crafted a trade proposal on Tuesday, July 23, that would see Oklahoma City swoop in and steal Markkanen out from under Golden State.

The Thunder have a massive number of future draft picks, so while Swartz’ pitch wouldn’t empty the entire cupboard, it would at least severely deplete one of the cabinets. The deal includes a 2025 first-rounder that originally belonged to the Jazz, first-round selections in 2027 and 2029, second-round picks in 2026, 2027, and 2028 as well as 2024 first-round selection Nikola Topic (No. 12 overall), Ousmane Dieng and Kenrich Williams.

Thunder Have a Greater Volume of Assets and better Short-Term Value to Offer Jazz Than Do Warriors

GettyLauri Markkanen of the Utah Jazz.

Swartz laid out the case for the Thunder taking such a big swing after already adding two potential starters this offseason to a team that lost a competitive series to the eventual West champion Dallas Mavericks in the conference semifinals earlier this year.

“No other team has more draft ammunition to trade for Markkanen, who would help turn what was once a small frontline in OKC into three 7-footers,” Swartz wrote. “This trade would create a significant gap between the Thunder and the rest of the West. It would add another 20-point-per-game scorer to OKC’s starting lineup while only making a small dent in the team’s future draft picks.”

The haul Swartz put forward would be difficult for the Dubs to match in sheer volume, though Golden State would have one advantage. While Oklahoma City’s future appears exceedingly bright for perhaps an unprecedented window considering all of their young talent and draft assets, the Warriors have only a limited time to compete at the top of the West.

As such, future first-rounders from Golden State — of which they can offer Utah up to three — as well as future second-round picks and future swaps all read as more valuable assets because the Warriors are highly likely to finish lower in the standings than the Thunder in most seasons over the next decade.

Sending the Jazz back one of their own first-rounders in 2025 along with Topic, who Oklahoma City picked in the lottery in 2024, are the two immediate pieces that fit with Utah’s teardown-and-rebuild plan that Golden State would have trouble matching in short-term value.

Warriors, Jazz at Impasse in Trade Talks for Lauri Markkanen

Getty Jonathan Kuminga of the Golden State Warriors.

While the Thunder can take that swing, the team also has the luxury of waiting to make an All-Star acquisition until doing so suits its purposes precisely. Whether Markkanen fits the bill is unclear.

Thus, the Warriors remain in the driver’s seat among suitors for Markkanen, though Shams Charania of The Athletic on July 15 reported that the two teams are at an impasse with regards to a return package for the 7-footer who averaged 23.2 points and 8.2 rebounds in 33.1 minutes of playing time per game last season following an All-Star campaign in 2022-23.

The Dubs have offered Moses Moody along with multiple first-round picks, multiple first-round pick swaps, and multiple second-round picks for Markkanen, according to Charania. Utah countered with the same package of draft assets but also asked for Jonathan Kuminga and Brandin Podziemski along with Moody.

A compromise might include the aforementioned draft capital, one of either Kuminga or Podziemski, and possibly Moody, as well. ESPN’s Kevin Pelton suggested on the July 15 edition of “The Lowe Post” podcast that the Dubs are more likely to part with Kuminga than Podziemski.

“[It] seems a little more likely to me [the Warriors would move Kuminga] than Podziemski, just in terms of how the Warriors would value him relative to how Utah would value him,” Pelton said. “The other thing worth considering on this trade is the financial implications down the line. If [Markkanen] gets that huge raise, and it’s Kuminga that stays instead of Podziemski, he also gets an enormous raise coming off his rookie contract.”

Markkanen is eligible for a four-year, $209 million extension from Utah in August. Kuminga is currently extension-eligible and can sign a five-year maximum deal with Golden State worth up to $224 million.