Lauri Markkanen is putting all of his trust in the Utah Jazz

The NBA world was abuzz with Lauri Markkanen talk this summer.
Will Lauri Markkanen sign an extension with the Utah Jazz? Are the Jazz going to trade Lauri Markkanen? Is he going to end up in Golden State? If he signs an extension with the Jazz, when will he do it?
When you’re the topic du jour, it’s impossible to completely tune everything out, but Markkanen did his best, while also making sure that his agent and the Jazz knew where he stood. Likewise, the Jazz brass — general manager Justin Zanik, CEO of basketball Danny Ainge and head coach Will Hardy — made sure that Markkanen knew the direction the team was heading.
By the time Markkanen was able to sign an extension, the Jazz had already struck out on landing any kind of big free agent or making a trade that would change the dynamic of the Jazz roster. The team had decided that the best path forward would be investing in the youth of the team and focusing all efforts on development.
That would like likely mean that the Jazz are still quite a way out from title contention and at least a little way out from postseason play. If Markkanen were to sign a long-term extension he would be agreeing to at least another year with the Jazz, and possibly many more, which could mean that Markkanen making his playoff debut might not be for a while. It could also mean a lot of growing pains as the Jazz work through developing multiple young players and trying to find foundational pieces for the future. Even so, Markkanen wanted to be in Utah.
“I didn’t directly talk to Justin and those guys and right before signing, but I had my agent talk with them, and I was in the loop, and yeah, that definitely plays a role,” Markkanen said. “But like I’ve been saying, I’m trusting those guys. We have good people in this building that’s proven that they can get the job done. So I’m worried about myself and my teammates and just getting better.”
There were many reasons Markkanen felt comfortable returning to Utah. His family loves it here, he enjoys the outdoors and being out in nature and is grateful for a place he can do that throughout the NBA season. He believes in the Jazz’s vision for the future and wants to be a part of the final product. But he also has built a deep bond with Hardy and wants to repay Hardy’s trust.
In turn, that philosophy gives Hardy an incredible foundation heading into the 2024-25 season and gives the front office a ton of confidence in the coach that they’ve chosen to shepherd this rebuild.
“I think this gives Lauri a different sense of security for him and his family,” Hardy said. “But yes, as the coach, when the best player on the team wants to be here, he wants to be in Utah, he believes in what we’re doing … It’s big for us, because it also helps our ecosystem function … But I think more than anything, it just shows that Lauri is committed to the Jazz, committed to Utah, and he really believes in what we’re doing.”
When training camp opens on Tuesday, Markkanen will be heading into his third year with the Jazz, and although there is familiarity and some comfort now that his contract situation has been ironed out he’ll be taking on even more than he has the last two seasons. His success will be dependent on and tied to the success of the young players on this roster, and he’ll be responsible for helping to bring them along in their NBA journeys.
“There’s no question, when we take the floor at practice tomorrow, who the best player on the team is,” Hardy said. “And there’s responsibility that comes with that. Lauri is fully capable and ready for that.”
The 7-foot, hybrid sharpshooter has proven that he can be versatile on the court, and over the past two seasons has slowly moved toward taking a leadership role for the Jazz. But, those in the know think that this year, Markkanen is ready for much more. He’s physically stronger, he’s committed to what the Jazz have laid out as a vision, he’s already anticipating what kind of hurdles the team will face as the young players make mistakes and learn from them and he wants to take on more.
“I don’t want to cuss, but that (expletive) was in the military,” teammate Jordan Clarkson said of Markkanen. “He’s ready for whatever. Lauri is ready for anything you throw on his plate. He’s ready for it. He’s more vocal and this new Lauri is just (shakes his head and smiles), yeah … I love it.”