Warriors' Paul George backup plan could cost them even more

By all indications, the Golden State Warriors were Paul George's first choice this offseason. The Los Angeles Clippers never made a serious offer and the Warriors represented a chance to team up with Stephen Curry and Draymond Green on the west coast, in a system perfectly tailored to George's skill set.

There was only one problem. Golden State didn't have cap space. The path to the Warriors was a bit more complex, involving an opt-in for the final year of George's contract and a trade. Both sides discussed a trade, but according to ESPN's Ramona Shelburne, there was a hang-up.

LA demanded the inclusion of talented 21-year-old Jonathan Kuminga. The Warriors declined, concerned about a future without Kuminga and the potential to lose George's interest by dealing away too much talent.

Fair enough. It's a blown opportunity for the Warriors with their dynasty teetering on the brink, but hey, Kuminga is awesome. When Golden State's contending days are finally over, he is going to emerge as a serious building block for the future.

Now, however, the Warriors are pivoting to another exciting option. The Utah Jazz are expected to listen to trade offers for 27-year-old Lauri Markkanen, who is entering the final year of his contract worth a shade over $18 million. Golden State is among the teams most interested in the All-Star from Finland, with NBC Sports' Monte Poole categorizing Markkanen as the Dubs' "number one target."

Great! There's just one thing. Markkanen is going to cost a lot more than George in a trade.

Warriors are interested in Lauri Markkanen, but is the price too steep?

George would have arrived at a discount (at least in terms of trade capital) because he was essentially a free agent. The Clippers' bargaining power was limited, though clearly there was a premium demanded from Golden State due to its proximity in the Western Conference. Markkanen is a highly sought-after wing who fits into just about any scheme. He is seven years younger than George, and his next contract won't cost as much. The Jazz are about to get a haul.

The Warriors can supply that haul, but it will require several future first-round picks, legitimate salary filler, and yes, Jonathan Kuminga. Utah could even rope Brandin Podziemski, Trayce Jackson-Davis, or Moses Moody into talks. Nobody in the Warriors' young nucleus would be safe, and odds are Golden State would need to actively outbid other interested teams.

Markkanen is worth it. The age factor is huge, not to mention the slight financial relief, even if Markkanen is due for his own max-level extension in the months to come. Geoege makes more as a veteran with 10-plus years of NBA experience. The Warriors have been pummeled by taxes throughout their dynastic run. Getting a more affordable, prime-aged star to revive their competitive odds is a great plan.

Still, Markkanen is going to suck the Warriors' asset collection dry. He's 27, not 21 (like Kuminga), and there's a limited timeframe to contend with Curry and Green. Markkanen is the absolute perfect Warriors co-star — defenses are going to get twisted into pretzels trying to guard Curry and Markkanen in a Steve Kerr offense — but as Steph and Draymond age, he probably can't prop Golden State up as a No. 1 option. He's an elite third star, but he's not a self-creator and he's going to be on the wrong side of 30 when his next contract ends.

So, is he still worth a steep price from Golden State? There's a compelling argument in favor of landing Markkanen, but the Warriors need to tread more carefully than most with such a precarious long-term outlook. Steph deserves to go out swinging with a legitimate contender around him, but Golden State risks stunting their eventual rebuild with an all-out swing.

Let's see what happens.