The Pistons have long been tied to Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen in trade rumors, but things have died down recently as Utah's asking price was reportedly too high. On Friday night, Markkanen showed the Pistons first-hand how much he's worth. Just as the Pistons were building momentum towards the NBA's top seed, Markkanen and the Jazz gave them an unexpected loss.
Lauri Markkanen dominated against the Pistons
Markkanen finished the game with 30 points behind an impressive show of inside-out scoring. He was aggressive attacking the rim, even getting finishes against the Pistons' impressive rim protectors. He also made 4 threes and looked extremely comfortable taking 7 total shots from beyond the arc.
With his aggression, Markkanen was able to exploit the Pistons' defensive weakness of foul trouble. He took (and made) 10 total free throws, all earned on drives or a 3-point attempt with a reckless closeout. His confidence attacking the Pistons' front line was commendable and led to great offense for the Jazz, who finished with 131 points.
Markkanen's ability to occupy defensive attention and score efficiently from the most important areas of the court have done wonders for his team this season. Although their record is still awful, young point guard Keyonte George has developed tremendously. He's gone from 17 points per game last season to 24 this season, and Markkanen's gravity has helped make his life easier in the process.
The thought of pairing such a versatile scoring forward with a top-tier point guard like Cade Cunningham remains tempting for the Pistons. Of course Markkanen would be an excellent fit in the Pistons lineup. He can give them the perfect answer to their lingering power forward question and complete a contending core.
But working out a trade with the Jazz will be the hard part. Utah has made astounding demands for Markkanen in the past, including multiple talented prospects AND multiple first-round picks. For the Pistons, this might involve Jaden Ivey and Ron Holland II along with draft capital. But at a certain point, a move like that might be appropriate to build a true contender.
The Pistons will also have financial complications fitting Markkanen into the cap sheet. They've already got an expensive extension coming up for Jalen Duren, and adding another $45-50 million per year for Markkanen won't help balance the books. But if both guys live up to their huge deals, it'll make the Pistons a massive threat not only in the Eastern Conference but even for the NBA Championship.
Soon, the Pistons will approach a crossroads in building a title-winning team. It might not be right away, but Lauri Markkanen remains perhaps the best option for taking the next leap as an organization.