The Golden State Warriors and Utah Jazz may not get a trade done
The Golden State Warriors have been the team most heavily linked to Utah Jazz star Lauri Markkanen. While Golden State has several intriguing trade assets, what they’re willing to give up may not be what Utah is looking to get back.
It was reported recently by NBA insider Marc Stein via his Substack that Golden State had not yet offered Jonathan Kuminga or Brandin Podziemski for Markkanen, but would likely be more open to dealing Kuminga when considering his free agency is sooner than Podziemski’s. That said, it’s for this reason Utah may not want Kuminga.
In a recent article, Bleacher Report’s Eric Pincus wrote, “The Jazz are in a rebuilding phase, but, per multiple sources, they want Brandin Podziemski from Golden State. While Jonathan Kuminga has value, he’s looking for a significant extension that may not match Utah’s timeline.”
This makes sense, especially if Utah does not see Kuminga as a future tier-one star worth building around. Even if Utah did value Kuminga that highly, there is also no guarantee he would choose to sign longterm to remain with the Jazz. All of this makes it easy to understand why Utah reportedly prefers Podziemski, who Golden State is not offering.
If both sides remain firm in their current stance, it seems there may be no pathway to a Markkanen to Golden State trade this summer.