Lauri Markkanen is another great the Golden State Warriors have failed to acquire through trade. The list of these players is becoming longer. According to reports, the Finnish player will decide on Wednesday to renegotiate and extend his deal with the Utah Jazz, so barring a trade for the duration of 2024–2025.
Markkanen, like Paul George before him, is not going to the Bay, even though the Warriors have made deliberate and persistent efforts to acquire him to back up Stephen Curry as a second star. They supposedly made the Jazz the “most aggressive” offer in exchange for Markkanen, but they must have known that Utah’s top decision-maker, Danny Ainge, wouldn’t be persuaded to accept a deal that included Moses Moody and several future first-round picks without Brandin Podziemski and Jonathan Kuminga.
From here, where does it leave Golden State? The Athletic reports that Mike Dunleavy Jr. and the front office are “comfortable” going into the regular season with the roster as it is, expressing “no immediate panic” following their disappointment with Markkanen. Father Time, however, is very near to truly catching up to Curry, and the previous campaign shown that the Warriors lack the star power necessary to contend at the top of a loaded Western Conference without the 36-year-old.
It’s only a matter of time until the Dubs are connected to other prominent players in the league in the run-up to the February 6th trade deadline, even if they are truly happy to enter 2024–25 with their current squad. There are two players on that list of Golden State’s possible trade targets who many fans undoubtedly wish are there? Both Zach LaVine and Brandon Ingram have been working hard on the trade market for some months.
The Warriors, however, don’t seem to be interested in making a trade for either former All-Star, perhaps due to the disappointment of not getting Markkanen. But relax, Dub Nation. Here’s why, with Curry’s desire for a co-star becoming more and more pressing, Golden State is taking the proper approach in the front office by being reluctant to engage in trade talks for LaVine and Ingram.
On or off the court, Zach LaVine and Brandon Ingram don’t match the Warriors.
At FedExForum, during the first half of the New Orleans Pelicans’ game against the Memphis Grizzlies, forward Brandon Ingram (14), reacts. Required Credit: USA TODAY Sports/Petre Thomas
Thomas Petre, USA TODAY Sports
First things first: The Athletic claims that the Warriors have “no appetite” to pursue trades for LaVine or Ingram.
Some fans may find those tandem moves puzzling, as they wonder why Golden State chose not to contact Ingram or LaVine to see what would be required given the team’s dire need for a secondary scorer. Considering that the Chicago Bulls and New Orleans Pelicans haven’t yet struck deals that satisfy them for either player, even some well-read league fans are probably intrigued by their fit with the Warriors. This raises the possibility that Golden State could acquire LaVine or Ingram while keeping both Podziemski and Kuminga, which was their ultimate goal in their unsuccessful negotiations with Utah.
What is the main flaw in that reasoning? The effect that players’ contracts have on the pay cap affects them on the court, too. Threats of a second luxury tax apron this summer forced teams all around the league to make drastic cost-cutting decisions or implement extensive stagnation, and Joe Lacob has made no secret of his intention to forgo paying any luxury tax fines in 2024–2025.
LaVine has a $48.9 million player option for 2026–2027, which he will almost certainly exercise, after which he is due just under $90 million over the following two seasons. As unrestricted free agency approaches next summer, one of the many reasons New Orleans is willing to part with Ingram is that he is looking for a four-year, $208 million extension.
The Warriors might win the game because of LaVine’s ability to pressure opponents from all three levels of the court and be a productive supplementary playmaker—while not playing at his best, at least. While making a career-high 53.4% of his two-pointers last season, Ingram quietly improved as a passer. His coveted mid-range game also projects as a valuable late-clock scoring option and second-unit offensive fulcrum—elements Golden State missed in 2023–24 and couldn’t find this summer while revamping its roster.
The article below continues with related news.
Following the news of Lauri Markkanen’s Jazz contract extension, Warriors supporters are in disarray.
Six-hour NBA rumors: Warriors planning to deal after Lauri Markkanen’s failure surface
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Warriors forward Draymond Green’s startling admission regarding the battle between Andrew Nembhard and Stephen Curry
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Early projections of the Warriors starting lineup during the standoff over the trade of Lauri Markkanen
The Dubs would benefit greatly from signing LaVine and Ingram, assuming there were no cap issues or injury worries. Even in that perfect alternate universe, though, they wouldn’t be the best fits because of their similar preferences for ball-stopping and careless defense, which are diametrically opposed to the character Steve Kerr has built with the Warriors. Since Draymond Green spends the most of his time at center, LaVine and Ingram do not provide Golden State with the same level of positional diversity.
In summary, LaVine and Ingram are non-starters for Golden State for the same reasons that Chicago and New Orleans have not been able to get them.
Aim to prevent the wringing of hands that will come from Markkanen signing with Utah so soon after the Warriors were unable to sign George. To give Curry another shot at a championship before his illustrious career ends, they must execute a blockbuster trade; but, sacrificing the forest of patience for the trees of instant gratification will only make that difficult task much more daunting.
Regretfully, Markkanen will not be visiting San Francisco. And it’s fortunate for the Dubs, Curry, and their supporters that LaVine and Ingram aren’t.
Jack Winter is a seasoned NBA journalist and editor who covers the Warriors for ClutchPoints. Jack lives in Oakland, attended Butler University, and has written for Bleacher Report, Dime Mag, and Sports Illustrated, among other publications.
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