Lauri Markkanen will stay in Salt Lake City for the time being.
Markkanen has reportedly agreed to a five-year, $238 million contract extension with the Utah Jazz, as per NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski.
Utah Jazz All-Star forward Lauri Markkanen has reportedly signed a five-year, $238 million contract renegotiation and extension – including $220 million in new money, his agent Michael Lelchitski of @SIGSports tells ESPN. pic.twitter.com/dFx6pIc2nV
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) August 7, 2024
The deal also stipulates, according to Wojnarowski, that Markkanen “can't be traded for six months, meaning he can't be moved until the offseason.”
The upcoming 2024-25 NBA season’s trade deadline is February 6 of next year.
Markkanen’s new deal is also the richest contract in franchise history, surpassing former Jazz big man and current Minnesota Timberwolve Rudy Gobert's previous five-year, $205 million deal signed back in 2020.
“I’m excited to get this extension done,” Markkanen said in a video message posted on X, formerly Twitter, while also extending gratitude to the Jazz management for getting the deal done.
“I’m ready to get back to work and build with this franchise.”
“Lauri pysyy Utahissa” sure has a nice ring to it 😌🇫🇮💜#TakeNote pic.twitter.com/vjJXgK9IW7
— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) August 7, 2024
After being in the subject of trade rumors for most of the summer, specifically with the Golden State Warriors, Utah locks up a player who is coming off another remarkable season averaging 23.2 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 2.0 assists while shooting 48% from the field and 39% from deep in 55 games played.
But Markkanen's best season wearing a Jazz uniform came in the 2022-23, producing a career-best 25.6 points en route to earning his first ever All-Star nod and winning the NBA's Most Improved Player.
The Finnish seven-footer first spent his five seasons in the league in Chicago and the Cleveland before landing in Utah as a part of the trade that sent former Jazz superstar Donovan Mitchell to the Cavaliers two years ago.
The Jazz are coming off a 31-51 record, its worst season in 10 years, but now with the biggest domino finally falling for the Jazz, this team can now focus on building around its 27-year-old star alongside its budding young core.
