Report: Laurie Markkanen Making Big Move to Block A Trade

It's not, by definition, looked at as 'blocking a trade', but constant trade candidate Laurie Markkanen of the Utah Jazz is reportedly set to do something this week that would, essentially, block the team from dealing him this season, even if they wanted to.

If Markkanen does not accept a new extension from the Jazz by Tuesday's deadline (August 6th), he will not be eligible to be traded this coming season.

And that's just what he intends to do.

The collective bargaining agreement states that players are ineligible to be traded for six months after they sign an extension. The trade deadline is February 6th. That means if Markkanen waits until after Tuesday to talk about a new contract with Utah, he would not be eligible to be traded until February 7 at the earliest—after the trade deadline, therefore keeping him in Utah at least through the end of the 2024-25 season.

By waiting until at least Wednesday to sign, he'd basically be giving himself a one-year no-trade clause.

And while the Jazz have held trade discussions recently, most notably with the Golden State Warriors, Utah CEO Danny Ainge has maintained a sky-high price for his top scorer, understandably, of course. From the Warriors, he was demanding a young player haul that the Dubs weren't interested in parting with.

Tony Jones of The Athletic explains that this is a strategic move by Markkanen. “The 27-year-old Markkanen knows he’s going to get major money either now or next summer. By not signing this week, Markkanen essentially gains a bit of control over his future.”

In two years with Utah, he's averaged 24.5 points and 8.4 rebounds, along with shooting threes at a 39.5% clip.