Lauri Markkanen season took a revolutionary turn last night when NBA insiders reported on trades between Utah, Minnesota and the Los Angeles Lakers.
In practice, Utah threw the gloves on the counter for this season’s hopes of success. Even Markkanen’s own high point production becomes more difficult.
Utah traded three role players for basically one first-round pick. Of course, on paper, a superstar quarterback who has waned in recent years is coming to Utah Russell Westbrook and a few Lakers bench players.
However, North American media are reporting that Westbrook’s contract is being bought out. In practice, therefore, Utah will receive a reservation turn for four years in exchange for its players.
Dismaying, but not surprising
Although the news of the clearance sale seems incomprehensible and shocking to Finns, it is not surprising at all. The matter has been more or less on the back burner since Markkanen joined the Utah team.
The matter was already primed before the season. At that time, there was talk about how Utah would be involved in chasing the French super-athlete who is changing the entire league Victor Wembanyamaa at next summer’s booking event. Last fall, there were a lot of rumors about a possible trade between the Lakers and Utah. It didn’t happen at that time.
Although the season got off to a sensational start for Utah and the team was even at the top of the entire league for a while under Markkanen’s leadership, at the same time there was caution in the speeches. It was known that a fairy-tale story could end in an instant. Utah couldn’t keep up with the top teams anymore and fell to struggling for the last places in the playoffs.
Lately, Utah has spent 7-10 qualifying for the playoffs. in place or below the qualifying line.
Also last week, in connection with Markkanen’s all-star selection, there was talk of how the Finn’s season can take a new turn even before the actual all-star game. Since then, talk of Utah’s playmaking moves has only intensified by the day leading up to Thursday night’s deadline.
The last seal was put on the table at the beginning of the week by Utah’s boss Danny Ainge. The architect of the success of the Boston Celtics, known as a hard bargainer, uploaded ESPN in an interview (you move to another service) as direct a text about the situation in Utah as was actually possible.
The ESPN story revealed how Utah’s main goal has not been to make the playoffs this season. The main goal of the club management is to build a team that would have a real chance to fight for the championship in the future.
With the current frame, it would not be possible to reach the championship fight yet.
Why so? There is at least one descriptive statistic. Utah has been one of the weakest in the entire league on the defensive end, even though it has surprised everyone this season. Utah’s defensive rating is fourth worst in the league (you move to another service). The defensive rating reading tells you how many points the team allows per hundred possessions. With that kind of defense, you wouldn’t get far even this spring.
That’s why now was a good place to trade players away, get room on the salary cap and reserve shifts. It gives Utah a chance to grab future and current stars from the player market and the draft.
According to estimates, there is room in the salary cap of more than 60 million dollars, which together with 15 first-round reserves makes it possible to acquire a star in a tougher class.
When thinking about the possibilities of getting next summer’s booking event everyone’s desire Victor Wembanyamanow Utah has significantly better opportunities for that after the clearance sale.
Utah currently has the 12th worst win record in the league. With that, you would get a one and a half percent probability of first place. However, the deck is so tight that Utah has a chance to drop to the fifth weakest team. Then the probability is significantly higher. Of course, as the percentages tell, the probabilities are not all bad.
NBA reservation number lottery:
in North America national media analysts have rated Utah’s trade as excellent (switch to another service). Still, there have been complaints, especially from fans. Many think that one reserve shift from the Lakers is too little. Its value has also been considered questionable. The value is that the Lakers would be in the middle of rebuilding in 2027. A reservation shift would be good for each destination. However, it has its risks.
The undersigned’s assessment leans toward the fact that there are also signs of danger in the store. What if the Lakers don’t squat as violently as expected LeBron James’s and by Anthony Davis getting older? But what if the Lakers are really bad?
In both situations, the value of the booking turn decreases. According to media reports, the now traded reservation shift is protected for the top four reservations. If you are able to book in the top four on your turn, it becomes an automatic second round booking. In this case, the value of the mega-trade drops significantly for Utah.
Cold short-term consequences for Markkanen
For Markkanen himself, the events at the transfer deadline are harsh. In the store in Utah, the hero backer leaves Mike Conley, which has been a documented big part of the Finn’s top season this season. Conley has been able to serve Markkanen the ball in a way that the current number one running back in Utah and familiar from Cleveland Collin Sexton can hardly.
Markkanen’s own playing becomes more challenging as a result. The end of the story seen from the beginning of the season is also a big shame, because Utah’s players seemed to have welded together really wonderfully. They made the most of the role of the underdog and had a great time together even when viewed from behind the curtain.
A playoff spot could have been really close, even closer than last season when he ended the season with Cleveland. Certainly many Finnish basketball fans expected to see Markkanen and Utah in the playoffs.
Now that goal is moving. In the big picture, the Finns’ situation is still excellent. The deal was expected for a long time, but one change has been seen from the first speculations of the season. Back then, it was still thought that Markkanen could also be a commodity for Utah in the near future.
However, Markkanen was not a player who was traded in Utah. The Finn was actually the income center by Walker Kessler with media information the players that Utah was not ready to give up in the transfer deadline. Markkanes has actually become a very affordable player for his level.
At the same time, Markkanen has shown that he is capable of being one of the possible cornerstones of a future champion candidate. He is not necessarily the first name of the champion candidate, because Markkanen desperately needs a back man as his radar pair. Markkanen is not yet at the same level as the league’s brightest stars. That is, creating basket-making opportunities and making baskets, even by force.
Of course, Markkanen can be the second or third name of a future champion candidate. That too is a very unique view for a Finnish athlete in one of the world’s most popular sports.
Sometimes you also forget that Markkanen is only 25 years old. It will be 26 years in May. There is time for team success.
Even happier news happened around Markkanen last night. The New Orleans Pelicans confirmed that their superstar Zion Williamson will have to miss next week’s all-star game on Sunday. Markkanen is therefore strongly in the running for the starting five of the star game.
This is also a handsome thing, even with the help of another misfortune. All in all, Utah’s and Markkanen’s season has gone much better than expected, despite the last twist. And even tonight, new twists are not excluded. The transfer deadline closes at 22:00 Finnish time on Thursday. Is Utah’s club management still looking for a new ace up their sleeve?