NBA Trades: Jazz land a Markkanen co-star in tantalizing potential deal with Pelicans

NBA Trades: Would the Jazz agree to the deal?

Now that Utah has invested $238 million in their best player, they face pressure to build around him since he is in his prime. Building around a 27-year-old playing in a small market won't be easy, with Utah having historically built through the draft.

Having an accelerated timeline would make the idea of them trading for Ingram make a lot more sense, though they really should be trying to tank for the chance to land the first overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. That would be hard with Markkanen but not impossible and it would give them as high as a 14% chance at the top pick and Cooper Flagg.

That ship has apparently sailed with them keeping Markkanen and acquiring Ingram would be a relatively low-risk option that would make them better in the short term. If he fits well enough, they could re-sign him while having enough prospects and draft picks to still build through the draft. Based on that, the Jazz would probably also agree to the deal, making the proposed trade a strong possibility for both teams.