The Warriors have reportedly been actively pursuing a trade to acquire Utah Jazz All-Star big man Lauri Markkanen since July 1, and that stance has not changed despite the recent lull in activity.
Golden State remains in the hunt for Markkanen and has entered a “waiting period” regarding trade talks with Utah, The Athletic's Anthony Slater reported Tuesday, citing league sources.
However, it may be a while before a Markkanen trade comes to fruition.
A key date to keep in mind, according to Slater, is Aug. 6 because that's when Markkanen becomes eligible for a contract extension.
The Jazz are in no rush to trade Markkanen, and Slater reported that there is speculation around the NBA that the Jazz will ultimately sign the No. 7 overall pick in the 2017 draft to a lucrative contract extension rather than trading for him.
Tony Jones of The Athletic recently reported that both the Kings and Warriors have made “substantial” offers for Markkanen.
But Utah's lack of urgency forced the Kings to pivot from Markkanen to DeMar DeRozan, Slater reported, citing league sources.
The Kings acquired six-time NBA All-Star DeRozan on Monday in a three-team trade with the Chicago Bulls and San Antonio Spurs.
The Aug. 6 deadline isn't that big a deal for the Warriors.
According to Slater, the Warriors can afford to wait until the Jazz decide what to do with Markkanen.
The 7-foot Markkanen is a dynamic forward who averaged 23.2 points and 8.2 rebounds in 55 games for the Jazz last season.
Markkanen played seven NBA seasons with the Jazz, Chicago Bulls and Cleveland Cavaliers, averaging 18.1 points and 7.3 rebounds in 403 games.
Markkanen shot 48.0% from the field last season and is a career 45.9% shooter, and made 39.9% from three-point range on eight attempts per game last season.
Rest assured that unless something changes in Utah's thought process, Markkanen trade speculation will likely drag on into the first week of August.
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