The Golden State Warriors and San Antonio Spurs are reportedly among the teams interested in a trade for Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen.
ESPN's Brian Windhorst said the Jazz are active in trade talks.
“There are a few other teams looking at Markkanen,” Windhorst said. Hoop Collective (At 24:30) “I think San Antonio is one of them.”
Windhorst added that the Warriors are “exploring” the possibility of acquiring Markkanen after failing to acquire Paul George, the expected departure of Klay Thompson and the announced release of Chris Paul.
Golden State is reportedly exploring multiple sign-and-trade avenues to acquire Thompson, and Paul reportedly agreed to a one-year contract with the Spurs on Sunday.
The Jazz had hoped to add a player to complement Markkanen earlier in the offseason, but appear to have given up on selling the All-Star. Markkanen is in the final year of his contract and is eligible for an extension on Aug. 6, but could wait until free agency next summer to maximize his value.
The Warriors are at a crossroads as a franchise after plans to rebuild around Stephen Curry and Draymond Green fell through. With Curry and Green both in their late 30s and playing for teams with little chance to compete for a championship, the Warriors face an uncertain future.
Adding Markkanen would change things a little, but it would also require Golden State to give up all of their young players and some future draft picks, and Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody would likely be non-negotiables for the Jazz in trade talks.
The Spurs' acquisition of Paul signals a serious commitment to improvement this offseason after a team that was mostly made up of young players trying to find their roles last season. Victor Wenbanyama is exactly the superstar San Antonio hoped he would be, and Markkanen is a 27-year-old stretch big who would be a perfect fit next to Wenbanyama in the frontcourt for the foreseeable future.
Don't be surprised if the Spurs become the most aggressive team in the race to acquire Markkanen.
