NBA Trades: Spurs and Pelicans add starters; OKC lands a star in potential Jazz deal

Would the Utah Jazz agree to the deal?

The Jazz appear reluctant to trade Markkanen but that may be posturing to try and increase the offers for their best player. Although Markkanen is only 27 years old, he is perhaps too old for the Jazz to rebuild around and extending him could cost them around $250 million over five years.

Were they to sign him to that extension, they also wouldn't be able to trade him for a year and with Markkanen, the Jazz would likely be too good to tank.The latter is especially important since the 2025 NBA draft will feature Cooper Flagg, who is a potential star in the making.

As a result, if a team such as the Thunder make a strong offer for Markkanen, then the Jazz could and probably would agree to the deal. In this proposed deal, the Jazz would acquire five first-round picks, including three from Oklahoma City, two first-round pick swap and a second-rounder from both the Thunder and the Spurs, as well as Keldon Johnson.

That would be a major haul for the Jazz and one that they'd be hard-pressed to find elsewhere since it would allow them to add to their draft stockpile. It would also increase their chances of finishing with one of the three worst records in the league and landing the top pick in the 2025 draft, giving them the opportunity to select Flagg. Thus, they would potentially agree to the deal.