Draymond Green reportedly urged Warriors not to trade for Lauri Markkanen originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Not going through with a blockbuster trade for one NBA star seems to have been the right move for the Warriors.
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Golden State had strong interest in acquiring star forward Lauri Markkanen in a trade with the Utah Jazz during the 2024 offseason, but a deal did not materialize, and the 7-foot Finnish wing ultimately signed a lucrative contract extension with Utah later that summer that prevented him from being moved during the 2024-25 NBA season.
The Warriors held extensive talks with the Jazz, led by CEO Danny Ainge, who reportedly asked for Golden State’s entire young core, including Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody, Brandin Podziemski and multiple first-round picks for Markkanen.
Which is why, according to ESPN’s Anthony Slater, key figures in the Warriors organization were not keen on the idea of parting with so many future assets in any potential deal.
“[Draymond] Green even told [Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy] and controlling owner Joe Lacob [that summer] not to green-light a trade for Lauri Markkanen, considering the Utah Jazz were asking for all the draft picks and young players,” Slater wrote.
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Green’s stance had nothing to do with Markkanen the player, whom he has faced off against many times throughout the big man’s nine-year NBA career with the Chicago Bulls and Jazz.
“I’m a big fan of [Markkanen’s] game,” Green told Slater. “But I think if you want to do something so huge, you better be certain that this is the move. You usually don’t win those things against Danny Ainge. I look at history.”
Markkanen’s deal with Utah was for five years and $238 million, which will pay him, on average, $47.6 million per season through the 2028-29 campaign, and while his name continues to be mentioned in trade rumors, it’s clear the Warriors probably won’t be a fit if the Jazz do decide to move him.
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