Lauri Markkanen has emerged as one of the best forwards in the NBA this season, playing as a starter on the NBA All-Star team this season.
Though the Utah Jazz won’t be marching into the playoffs, Markkanen can feel happy to have finally found a team that wants him after consecutive seasons of being traded. He revealed that his friends from Finland were afraid to come to visit him until they knew he would not be moved again.
“Yeah. A lot of times, I’d have friends come over. In Cleveland, we owned a house. I had people coming over to visit me. I remember in September, October, or even November, guys were afraid to book tickets from Finland because flights are expensive. They were asking me, “Are you going to be there?” I didn’t really have people coming over because they were worried about buying tickets and if I got flipped or traded somewhere else. Yeah, it felt good knowing that – even though it’s a business and if the right deal comes along, you could still get traded – it definitely felt good to hear that so we could get out of our apartment and we have a new place (house) to live in now with my family. It was a good feeling to get that approval from the front office.” (h/t HoopsHype)
The Jazz front office made it clear over the winter that Markkanen and rookie Walker Kessler were untouchable during trade talks. Given the roster turnover the Jazz have had, it seems they were telling the truth and want to build around this duo for the future.
Tickets from Helsinki to Salt Lake City can be found for as low as $925, so maybe Markkanen could go into the budget bin and find some affordable options for his loved ones. At least he’s settled in now, so it’ll be worth every penny to have his friends come over and spend time in Utah.
A Succesful Revival For Markkanen
Lauri Markkanen showed flashes of the All-Star talent he is today during his rookie stint with the Chicago Bulls. After 4 years of development, the Bulls moved on from him and sent him to the Cleveland Cavaliers in a sign-and-trade. He was a fourth option behind Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen, but he looked to be their wing for their new and bright future.
He was traded to the Jazz out of the blue for Donovan Mitchell in a trade that’s worked out well for both teams. Markkanen is filling in for Mitchell as the star of the Jazz really well, averaging 25.6 points and 8.6 rebounds this season. He is in the running to win Most Improved Player of the Year this season, so he’ll be rewarded for the career turnaround he’s had in his debut season in Utah.
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