Rumors of a Lauri Markkanen trade to the Pistons have swirled for years now, but the Pistons will be reluctant to pull the trigger after their victory against the Jazz. Markkanen struggled to get going in Detroit, finishing 8-of-22 from the field and 3-of-12 from three. The Pistons offense is bouncing back after an initial slow start, and the need for a player like Markkanen dwindles with each passing game.
Is it worth trading for Lauri Markkanen?
Markkanen is still a talented player with an intriguing skillset that makes him a perfect complementary piece. Just in this game, he had buckets off of offensive rebounds, transition finishes, and movement shooting. But the Pistons' willingness to give up a big haul for him has decreased as Jalen Duren improves his offensive game.
Markkanen can still give the Pistons a young piece to round out their core at a position of need. But the Pistons are quickly finding other options to fill their power forward role for the future too. Isaiah Stewart has started at the four spot recently, and proved to be adequate on both ends of the court. In the past, starting Stewart and Duren together made the Pistons offense too cramped to succeed. But improvements to Stewart's 3-point shot and other Pistons' playmaking has made the offense passable.
And defensively, Stewart showed that he can contain even a skilled forward like Markkanen. Markkanen himself does not bring the same defensive impact as Stewart, and that could hurt his fit in Detroit. The Pistons are built on defense first, and their biggest advantage right now is their paint protection. Markkanen delivers the occasional block but doesn't consistently contest shots or give defensive effort at the rate that the Pistons expect.
Lauri Markkanen is definitely having his best season in a while. He was averaging 31 points per game heading into his matchup against the Pistons, and shooting solid splits of 48% from the field and 37% from three. It's also worth noting that scoring would come easier for him on the Pistons because he would no longer be the primary focus of opposing defenses and Cade Cunningham would set him up for more easy baskets.
But it's well known that Jazz GM Danny Ainge seeks a lot in trade returns. To pry Markkanen from him, the Pistons would likely have to give up Jaden Ivey and Tobias Harris, along with some draft capital or another promising young player. To make such a massive trade worth the outgoing players, Markkanen had to impress the Pistons in the head-to-head matchup and he was simply not able to do that. For now, the pipe dream of Markkanen to Detroit remains a fantasy.