The Golden State Warriors had a chance to reshape their future 15 months ago. Instead, they walked away from a deal for Utah Jazz All-Star Lauri Markkanen, and the decision is aging poorly.
Markkanen has erupted into one of the league’s most dominant scorers this season.
On Sunday, he torched the Chicago Bulls for 47 points in a double-overtime thriller, marking his third 40-point outing of the year. Through the opening month, he is averaging a career-best 30.6 points per game while drilling 3.8 threes, ranking fourth in scoring and fifth in makes from deep.
Only Stephen Curry and Grayson Allen have hit more triples. Markkanen already sits at 49.
The Warriors’ young core hasn’t delivered what the franchise hoped.
Brandin Podziemski and Jonathan Kuminga, the two players Golden State refused to include in a Markkanen trade, have both been moved to the bench. Steve Kerr has pivoted toward Will Richard and Moses Moody, citing the need for shooting and defensive reliability.
The front office’s hesitation was documented well before this season. In August 2024, veteran NBA reporter Marc Stein wrote on his Substack that the Warriors were unwilling to attach Podziemski or Kuminga to any package for the Finnish star, stating:
“[The Warriors are] still unwilling to surrender Brandin Podziemski in a trade package for the 7-foot Finn. Golden State, to date, has pursued Markkanen without including Podziemski or Jonathan Kuminga in trade packages laden with future draft compensation. Obviously, no team, to this point, has met Danny Ainge’s asking price.”
It was Draymond Green who advised the Warriors front office to avoid parting with young assets in favor of Markkanen, according to ESPN’s Anthony Slater
“[Draymond] Green even told [Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy] and controlling owner Joe Lacob [that summer] not to green-light a trade for Lauri Markkanen, considering the Utah Jazz were asking for all the draft picks and young players,” Slater wrote.
Draymond Green was also vocal about his involvement. behind the scenes.
“I’m a big fan of [Markkanen’s] game,” Green told Slater. “But I think if you want to do something so huge, you better be certain that this is the move. You usually don’t win those things against Danny Ainge. I look at history.”
This decision may well prove to haunt the Warriors, who are 9-7 on the season.
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