SUMMARY
- The Jazz and Warriors recently met for the first time since the Lauri Markkanen trade rumors unfolded.
- A post on X claimed that Markkanen called Stephen Curry everybody's dream teammate went viral.
This year’s trade deadline had a lot of teams scrambling to revamp their rosters before making a final push to the playoffs. Amongst the big names that were on the market was Lauri Markkanen. So far, he’s been one of the top forwards in the NBA this season averaging incredible numbers. The Finnish superstar was tied to a couple of big franchises, however, the Golden State Warriors were the most talked about amidst trade rumors.
Recently, a post on X revealed that the Utah Jazz star was excited to play against the Warriors. The post quoted, “Excited to match up with the Warriors later today, they’ve got a great culture. Steph is any guy’s dream teammate.” However, the account that reported this also tagged Ballsack Sports, a page known for making false claims and famed for trolling.
Lauri Markkanen in a press conference this morning: “Excited to match up with the Warriors later today, they’ve got a great culture. Steph is any guy’s dream teammate.” 😱
Via @BallsackSports pic.twitter.com/AULdgC4L4a
— st★r (@BlondedDynasty) February 12, 2024
No other source directly connected to the league reported Markkanen’s comments. So it is safe to say that Markkanen never claimed that Stephen Curry would be a dream teammate, even though he might be.
Lauri Markkanen and the Jazz get toppled by the Warriors
The Warriors and Jazz faced off the for first time this season making this Lauri Markkanen’s first appearance against the Dubs since the trade rumors came out. Both teams were scheduled to meet in January, however, the game was postponed on account of Darko Rajakovic’s death. Unfortunately, as much as Jazz fans would have wanted Markkanen to emerge victorious, the results were the exact opposite.
The Warriors were extremely dominant throughout the game. They outscored the Jazz in all four quarters (29-29 in the second quarter). Utah also shot terribly from deep averaging 34.4% on 32 attempts while the Warriors recorded 45.5% on 44 attempts. The Jazz also turned over the ball multiple times during the game which cost them a couple of crucial points. Markkanen only finished with 19 points while eight Warriors players scored double-digits. Golden State won by 22 points.
The Warriors failed to land Lauri Markkanen ahead of the trade deadline
Multiple trade proposals circulated the Internet ahead of the February 8th deadline. The Warriors were rumored to have had an interest in acquiring a big who could score the ball relentlessly. This was an obvious attempt to alleviate the issues surrounding Klay Thompson’s inefficient scoring and provide Stephen Curry with ample support on offense.
However, the rumors never conspired into anything and the Jazz ended up keeping Lauri Markkanen as well. So far, he has been averaging 23.6 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 1.9 assists on 50.1% shooting from the field. Unfortunately, Markkanen wasn’t selected as an All-Star considering the winning numbers other players have been putting up. Markkanen earned his first All-Star selection last season after averaging 25.6 points and 8.6 rebounds per game.