There remain a few possible outcomes — and technicalities — for Utah Jazz star Lauri Markkanen as the offseason rages on, and while one of them sees him going to the San Antonio Spurs, it isn't likely.
Whatever it might have looked like, that was the No. 1 objective for the general manager in charge of turning a bottom-dwelling Western Conference squad locked out of the playoffs into another dynasty capable of winning the way that theAfter adding Victor Wembanyama with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, the Spurs worked on finding the right pieces to surround him with. The rookie had to develop himself, so there weren't any major moves made at the trade deadline.
“We love to be here,” Markkanen said during his exit interview at the end of last season. “I’ve said it multiple times ... my family likes to be here.” Utah, having added John Collins, didn't exactly opt to use Markkanen as a traditional center, given that isn't his level of comfort, but it also didn't need to. In fact, despite dealing with an injury that only allowed him 55 appearances, Markkanen was on par with his stats from last year, averaging 23.2 points and 8.2 rebounds on 48 percent shooting from the floor and just under 40 percent from 3.
Dec 26, 2023; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama dribbles the ball behind Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen in the second half at Frost Bank Center. / Daniel Dunn-USA TODAY Sports Markkanen has done his share of improving. He only proved Wright's point to be true, earning the NBA's Most Improved Player Award for the 2022-23 season before enduring mandatory military service in Finland. That much speaks to his work ethic.Wright praised the Spurs' ability to identify places where team-building pieces could be found. Stephon Castle was one such example, as were Chris Paul and Harrison Barnes.
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