Photo by Vaughn Ridley/NBAE via Getty Images Lauri Markkanen and the Utah Jazz are going to have a busy trade deadline With Christmas coming soon, no one is working harder than Santa... except for maybe Danny Ainge. We have another Utah Jazz rumor centered around Lauri Markkanen and the recent buzz surrounding him. This comes from Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. Reporting on Knicks trade targets, Immanuel Quickley’s future, Lauri Markkanen, Pascal Siakam, OG Anunoby, Dejounte Murray, potential Hornets front office changes, the Pacers, two-way conversion candidates, and more on @hoopshype. https://t.co/hxILE5k8BT— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) December 22, 2023 Scotto’s reporting comes from opposing GMs who have been talking with the Jazz. From Scotto’s article: A majority of NBA executives who spoke with HoopsHype believe Markkanen will remain in Utah for several reasons: He wants to stay in Utah, the price tag for him is too high with his looming free agency, and he can renegotiate and extend his contract after the season. Multiple executives called the thought of Markkanen being traded “wishful thinking.” It’s very clear the Jazz are very big on Lauri Markkanen. From multiple places, including Lauri Markkanen himself, we’ve heard how much he would like to be in Utah. Scotto mentions in the article about the potential contract for the Jazz and how they could re-negotiate the terms and give him long-term max money. That seems like the most likely outcome, but with the trade deadline on Feb. 15th, there’s a lot of time left before we are likely to see any moves, although I would not be surprised to see Jordan Clarkson moved sooner rather than later. The first day of his trade eligibility is January 7th, and that will open up time for a lot of different players. Source: https://www.slcdunk.com/2023/12/23/2401 ... azz-rumors