Markkanen flattered by Warriors’ strong offseason trade interest originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
There were many twists and turns throughout the Warriors’ offseason, but one of the major storylines involved a player on a different roster.
Golden State made a big push to acquire All-Star forward Lauri Markkanen in an offseason trade with the Utah Jazz before the Finnish sharpshooter signed a deal. $238 million contract over five years extension with the team on August 7, ensuring that he cannot be traded at any time during the 2024-25 NBA season.
In an exclusive interview with NBA insider Marc SteinMarkkanen discussed offseason trade rumors and why he took other teams’ interest in acquiring him as a sign of respect.
“I think (it means) you did things right, that teams want you,” Markkanen told Stein. “…I was able to kind of step away and really wait for my agent to find out what’s real.”
“I already experienced it once during my (summer) restricted free agency, going from Chicago to Cleveland, so it was definitely easier. Contract-wise, we couldn’t do anything until August. I knew that if something was coming up with (commercial interest), my agent will let me know so I was able to kind of be at home with my family and practice and it was easier.
After months of speculation and reported trade deals, Markkanen stayed put and will remain with Utah for at least one more season.
“Obviously I wasn’t a free agent, but rather I had the ability to close the contract and I kind of had a choice,” Markkanen added. “I don’t need to do it, but it’s something I wanted to do to stay on the team.”
While some NBA insiders, like Stein, believe the Warriors are “well placed” to carry out a large transaction before the February 6 trade deadline, Markkanen won’t be one of the star players they’re looking for.
