The Utah Jazz’s rough 1-5 start has already put Lauri Markkanen back into the trade conversation, and that’s where the Portland Trail Blazers enter the picture.
Utah looked like a team ready to take a step after landing Kansas guard Darryn Peterson in the draft, but that leap hasn’t shown up yet. Injuries have played a part early, and if the skid keeps going, the question becomes whether the Jazz would be willing to make Markkanen available before the February trade deadline.
That would be a notable shift. Even with a rebuild in motion, Utah has held firm on Markkanen and kept the asking price high.
He made sense as a centerpiece for a young roster, but a slow start could push the Jazz toward a deeper youth movement and a full rebuild. At the same time, Adam Silver’s revised lottery odds changed the calculus around tanking, making the very bottom of the standings less appealing.
Markkanen can help keep Utah in that middle ground - not too good, not too bad - that rebuilding teams may now prefer.
Contractly, though, the numbers are hard to ignore. Markkanen still has $150 million remaining on his deal, and that has to be part of Utah’s thinking if the losses keep piling up.
If the Jazz do decide to move him, there are obvious suitors. The Golden State Warriors make sense as a landing spot, especially if they want a way out from under Kristaps Porzingis’ contract, which has been dragged down by health issues. But Portland is another team that fits the profile.
The Blazers have already been linked to frontcourt help, and the same logic that makes Naz Reid a fit applies to Markkanen - just on a much bigger stage. Portland needs another dependable big to give Donovan Clingan some insurance and to protect itself from Robert Williams III’s injury risk. Markkanen would do that and then some.
A Reid move would be smart. A Markkanen move would be the swing.
That’s the kind of addition that changes how a team looks in the West, especially in a playoff series where the Thunder or Spurs can force you to answer with more size and more scoring. It also gives Portland a stronger answer to the frontcourt upgrades Oklahoma City made this offseason, moves that were clearly aimed at dealing with the inevitable Victor Wembanyama problem.
The Blazers already have some size to work with, thanks to Clingan, Williams, Deni Avdija and Jrue Holiday. But if they’re serious about pushing forward, a Markkanen trade would send a loud message: this is no longer just a team building for later. It’s a team that believes it can win now.
In Other News...
Blazers Rotation Battle Is Already Getting Hard To Ignore
The Trail Blazers kept rolling with a 112-90 win over the Jazz, their fourth victory in five games, and the night offered another snapshot of how crowded this rotation picture has become. Deni Avdija led Portland in scoring for the fourth straight game, Toumani Camara kept spacing the floor with his 3-point touch, and Jrue Holiday gave the second unit a lift in a performance that stood out as the team continues to sort out its best combinations.
Not every piece fit as cleanly. Donovan Clingan ran into foul trouble, while Vit Krejci had a rough shooting night, reminders that the Blazers are still working through the details even as the results improve. With Ja Morant sidelined by a Grade 2 hamstring strain, Portlands recent stretch has only sharpened the competition for minutes, and the way this group balances production, defense and lineup fit is becoming harder to ignore. [Read more 🡒]
Scoot Henderson Trade Talk Just Got Real For The Blazers
The Hornets early-season shakeup has already put the trade market on alert, and it could have ripple effects for Portland. Charlottes move to send LaMelo Ball and Josh Green to Minnesota for Naz Reid and multiple draft picks left the roster in a very different place, and with a 3-4 record, the Hornets may not be done dealing before the February deadline.
For the Trail Blazers, the name to watch is Scoot Henderson. Portland could emerge as a potential trade partner if Charlotte decides to move Reid, with the idea of Henderson heading the other way in a deal that would address needs for both sides. Nothing is imminent, but the possibility alone is enough to make this one worth tracking as the deadline picture starts to take shape. [Read more 🡒]
Blazers Defense Faces Its Toughest Early Test In Denver
The Trail Blazers head into Denver for the first of four meetings in the season series, and the matchup arrives with one of the leagues more interesting early contrasts. Portland has leaned on a defense that has been especially sharp at limiting second-chance opportunities, while the Nuggets have built a reputation for punishing teams when possessions extend and the ball stays alive around the rim.
Cleaning The Glass numbers point to a clash of strengths that could shape the tone of the series right away, with Portland trying to keep Denver from turning missed shots into easy extra points. The historical backdrop only adds to the intrigue, since these teams know each other well and both enter this stretch with current-season form that makes every possession feel a little more important than usual. [Read more 🡒]