Utah Jazz Receive: Jimmy Butler, Yaxel Lendeborg and first-round picks in 2028, 2030 and 2032
Again, Utah could take some convincing to pull the trigger on this move, but Walker Kessler would’ve fit the directional shift toward winning, and the Jazz just traded him because the Los Angeles Lakers overpaid for him.
You could argue that the Warriors have more reason to overpay than L.A., and that’s what this deal represents.
Markkanen is good and a particularly interesting fit in Golden State, but there aren’t a lot of other teams that would give up an expiring contract, an interesting rookie forward (who’s younger than Markkanen) and three first-round picks for him.
And while this move would obviously delay Utah’s turn toward competitiveness, Yaxel Lendeborg is a little closer to the developmental timeline of Darryn Peterson.
The mountain of assets from this deal and the Kessler trade would also give the Jazz the ammo they might need to go after the next superstar who becomes available.