Warriors next trade target after whiffing on Lauri Markkanen is obvious

The Utah Jazz are officially removing Lauri Markkanen from the NBA trade market. The 27-year-old forward is expected to ink a long-term contract extension in the coming days, according to Shams Charania, Anthony Slater, and Tony Jones of The Athletic.

The All-Star's new deal will pay him upwards of $200 million over a five-year period, tying him to the Jazz franchise through 2029. It will involve a renegotiation of Markkanen's current deal, with Utah using its $33 million of open cap space to add to Markkanen's current $18 million salary. He is eligible to make up to $42.2 million during the 2024-25 campaign.

That is the richest contract in Jazz history, a well-deserved honor for Markkanen. He was a highly coveted trade asset across the league, with the most notable interest stemming from the Golden State Warriors. In the end, however, the Dubs never came close to meeting Utah's high asking price. Markkanen wanted to stay with the Jazz and he's willing to see through a rebuild. That is a rare level of commitment from a star in a small market.

Markkanen was positively electric last season, averaging 23.2 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 2.0 assists on .480/.399/.899 splits in 33.1 minutes. He was fractions of percentage points from a 50/40/90 season as a true 7-footer, which speaks to the special nature of Markkanen's skill level. He's one of the best shooters in the NBA, packaged in a frame that is perfect for the modern NBA.

This contract should age like a fine wine as the NBA's salary cap blooms with the new TV deal. Markkanen's impact is not predicated on athleticism, so he should remain effective for a while.

Now, let's talk about Golden State. What comes next for the Warriors, who are clearly in the market for another All-Star to elevate the roster around Stephen Curry? Well... there are multiple options, but one clear "best" outcome.

Warriors should pivot to Jimmy Butler watch after missing out on Lauri Markkanen

Jimmy Butler enters the final year of his contract with the Miami Heat without an extension. He has expressed his desire to stick in Miami and at least finish out the season, but there is a palpable disconnect between Butler and the front office. The Heat are probably weary of Butler's regular season absences and selective effort. He's a postseason assassin, but it only matters if the Heat can confidently make the playoffs every season — not barely scrape in.

Before Butler's short-term commitment to Miami was firmly reported, the Warriors and the Philadelphia 76ers were teams overtly connected to the 34-year-old All-Star. Well, the Sixers just signed Paul George. There's a good chance Butler isn't really available until next summer, but the Dubs should absolutely keep their asset trove stocked in anticipation of a run at the two-time Eastern Conference champ.

The Warriors won't have the money to sign Butler outright, but he becomes an immediately appealing sign-and-trade candidate. Due to his age and contract situation, odds are Butler wouldn't cost half as much as Markkanen in terms of a return package. He will command more money annually, which could get tricky as Golden State navigates the new CBA. But, where there's a will, there's a way, and Butler would obviously elevate the Warriors' title odds.

If Golden State can land Butler to run the show alongside Steph for a couple years, all while maintaining its young core of Brandin Podziemski, Jonathan Kuminga, and Trayce Jackson-Davis, the Warriors will be very effectively straddling the line between immediate contention and future preparation. The two-timelines approach never quite worked out like it was supposed to, but it's not too late for the Warriors to strike that balance.

Butler's age, rocky shooting profile, and eventual contract demands all merit close scrutiny and some level of skepticism. The spacing with Butler, Draymond, and presumably Kuminga on the court wouldn't be great, although Curry, Podziemski, Buddy Hield and others can offset quite a bit. In the Warriors' current position, however, there is clear pressure to maximize the final years of Curry's historic career. Butler can help in that pursuit.

If the Warriors want a more immediate solution, well, the Bulls are trying to dump Zach LaVine's contract...