Copyright yardbarker
Lauri Markkanen has stormed out of the gate to start the new season, averaging 34.7 points on 50 percent shooting through three games. On Monday, he became the first Utah Jazz player since the great Karl Malone to score 50, guiding his team to a 138-134 OT win over the Phoenix Suns. The Finnish star finished with 51 points, 14 rebounds and three assists, while going a perfect 17-of-17 from the foul line. Lauri Markkanen ends 26-year drought Markkanen ended a Jazz drought dating back to April 7, 1998, when Malone scored 56 points. Since then, there have been a staggering 291 NBA 50-point games from 96 separate players around the league. No Jazz player hit the mark until Markkanen. While Markkanen's hot start has given the Jazz a 2-1 start, it's hard to foresee them making the playoffs, given the might of the Western Conference. As such, he could become a prime trade candidate for championship contenders ahead of the Feb. 5 NBA trade deadline. Lauri Markkanen could be missing piece In the lead-up to the season, Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix reported that the Jazz were "very open" to offers on the sharpshooting forward. "Lauri Markkanen is the name I hear most frequently [in trade talks]," Mannix wrote on Oct. 8. "...Right now there is a belief that the Jazz are very open for business on their 28-year-old ex-All-Star." Mannix further noted that the Jazz passed up on a low-ball offer from the Golden State Warriors in 2024, believing that "a stronger market" would materialize. That market didn't materialize last year, but if Markkanen continues to ball out, he will become highly coveted. Markkanen could be the last piece of the puzzle for a title contender seeking more shooting and size. A team such as the Detroit Pistons, who rank 24th in the league in three-point shooting, could really use him. Even the Los Angeles Lakers, who rank 27th, would love to replace Rui Hachimura with Markkanen in the starting lineup.
