While Dub Nation anxiously waits for updates on the Lauri Markkanen trade battle, general manager Mike Dunleavy and the Warriors front office appear to have played a role in the effort to acquire the star forward.
Golden State made a big offer to the Utah Jazz for the NBA All-Star big man, Tony Jones of The Athletic confirmed in an interview on 95.7 The Game on Friday.
“Golden State has made an offer, and I think it's a significant offer,” Jones said. “The Jazz have to answer for themselves as to what they want.”
Jones, who covers the Jazz, further explained that while current offers from Golden State and other teams are based heavily on draft picks, Utah could seek additional assets, such as promising young players, to grow with the franchise.
“I think the level of offers that are out there is substantial,” Jones said. “I think they're primarily based on picks. When you look at some of the offers, I think there's one or two young players that have the potential to develop over the course of their careers.”
While Golden State's offer is reportedly strong, the Warriors' available draft capital could complicate their path to acquiring Markkanen.
“What complicates the Golden State package is [the Warriors] They only have two first-round picks that are essentially unprotected. [2026 and 2028]”Just look at Mikal Bridges selling for $5 a few weeks ago. [first-round picks]”And it wasn't just five first-class players. It was five first-class players plus the swap and then Bojan Bogdanovic. I think you have to take all of that into consideration when you think about what Lauri Markkanen could potentially get.”
Markkanen would be a big acquisition for the Warriors, but neither the Warriors nor the Jazz are desperate to get a deal done right away. There's been a lot of back and forth between the two teams' front offices, and there will surely be lengthy negotiations before any trade is made.
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