NBA Trade Packages and Landing Spots for Lauri Markkanen If Utah Jazz Deal Star

Los Angeles Lakers Receive: F Lauri Markkanen

Utah Jazz Receive: F Rui Hachimura, G/F Dalton Knecht, PG Gabe Vincent, F Maxi Kleber, 2031 first-round pick (unprotected)

Why Los Angeles Does It: 

The Lakers will always be on the hunt for stars yet are limited in trade assets after acquiring Luka Dončić at the deadline. Markkanen is probably the best level of player Los Angeles can reasonably acquire and would be a strong third option behind Dončić and LeBron James.

Adding a 7-footer who can play either forward position and fill short bursts as a stretch-5 gives the Lakers a ton of versatility with their lineups and helps an offense that ranked 12th out of 16 teams this postseason.

This trade would leave the Lakers with a core of Dončić, Austin Reaves, Markkanen, James, Dorian Finney-Smith and Jarred Vanderbilt. Los Angeles would still have the taxpayer mid-level exception of $5.7 million to try to sign a veteran like Brook Lopez, Clint Capela, Steven Adams or Al Horford to fill their hole at center and complete a loaded starting five.

A future unprotected pick from the Lakers in 2031 when James has (probably??) retired is valuable. Adding Knecht as a young core piece to a team that finished 22nd overall in three-point shooting is attractive as well.

Hachimura (13.1 points, 5.0 rebounds, 41.3 percent shooting from three) has value and would likely be flipped to a contender, and the Jazz should be happy to add Vincent’s championship experience to a young point guard rotation that features Keyonte George and Isaiah Collier.