The Warriors have signed sharpshooter Buddy Hield, but Dubs fans still want Lauri Markkanen.
So, is there a way the Warriors can still sign him?
San Antonio and Golden State are both interested in the Jazz forward, but Yahoo Sports‘ Jake Fischer recently threw cold water on trade rumors.
The Jazz are “conducting their business with a 10 percent chance they’re going to move him,” Fischer said on No Cap Room.
Fischer also spoke about the Kings as a legitimate suitor for Markkanen.
“The Sacramento Kings, to my knowledge, earlier this week were close to a deal. I do think that, based off of conversations I’ve had,” Fischer said. “I can’t say more than that, but there were calls made to people around the NBA that would have indicated that talks have been legitimate there.”
Teams like the Warriors and Kings may have trouble signing Markkanen, because the asking price may be too high.
Jazz will only seriously consider trading Markkanen if they receive an offer similar in value to the one the Nets got for Mikal Bridges, Michael Sotto of HoopsHype says.
This haul for Brooklyn included four unprotected first-round picks, an unprotected first-round swap, and one more protected first-round pick.
If the Warriors did want Lauri, they would need to go all in and likely give up one of their bright young stars, like second-year guard Brandin Podziemski.
As C/P’s Brett Siegel has suggested:
Utah Jazz receive: G Brandin Podziemski, G Gary Payton II, C Kevon Looney, GSW 2025 first-round pick (unprotected), GSW 2028 first-round pick (unprotected, two first-round pick swaps (2027, 2029)
Golden State Warriors receive: F Lauri Markkanen
The Warriors have pretty much replaced Thompson and Chris Paul with Hield, Anderson and De’Anthony Melton.
Which isn’t enough, Warriors beat writer Anthony Slater says.
“The Warriors are still a large move away from being considered any type of fringe contender, but they’ve sharpened up around the edges well,” Slater said.
READ MORE: Why Buddy Hield Chose Warriors Over Lakers