3 players who definitely won’t be moved at the NBA trade deadline

1. Lauri Markkanen, Utah Jazz

Don’t look now but the Utah Jazz are surging. Sitting at 22-22 and tied with the Lakers for ninth place in the West, the Jazz have won 15 of their last 21 games. Head coach Will Hardy deserves a lot of praise for adjustments he has made to the lineup but All-Star forward Lauri Markkanen has played an equally pivotal role in the team’s success over the last month-plus.

Since Dec. 13, 2023, when the Jazz’s turnaround began, Markkanen has averaged 24.2 points per game while shooting 50.7 percent from the field and 40.3 percent from three to go with 9 rebounds and 2.5 assists. 

The former Arizona Wildcat has looked like a legitimate star since arriving in Utah as part of the trade that sent Donovan Mitchell to the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2022 to the point where he has established himself as an untouchable player in the eyes of Jazz CEO Danny Ainge.

Per Zach Lowe of ESPN, the Indiana Pacers reached out to the Jazz to inquire about the availability of Markkanen before acquiring Pascal Siakam from the Toronto Raptors. They, along with multiple other suitors were told that the team has no plans on parting ways with their star forward.

Turning 27 in May, Markkanen is the type of player franchises look to build around as an effective and efficient high-volume scorer with positional versatility. With that in mind, the Jazz will certainly not be moving him before the deadline.