With the news that Paul George has signed with the 76ers on a four-year max contract, the other high-impact move of the off-season is a trade for Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen. If recent reports are any indication, it's a matter of when, not if.
His co-host and colleague Brian Windhorst responded to Bontemps by mentioning the Warriors and Spurs are both looking at Markkanen.Golden State's rationale for landing Markkanen is obvious - they want to give Steph Curry one last shot at competing. They do not have the asset stockpile that the Spurs or Thunder possess, but they have intriguing young players in Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody.
I think a three-team deal that sees Atlanta strengthen their rotation, Golden State land one of the premier win-now players in basketball and Utah add to their treasure trove of assets could make sense for everyone. Here is the trade. For Golden State, adding Hunter and Markkanen completely replaces what they lost from Wiggins, Moody and Kuminga. Their new starting lineup would be Curry - Podziemski - Green - Markkanen - Capela. A lineup of Green, Markkanen and Capela would be imposing defensively while Curry can keep Capela relevant on offense as a rim-runner. Hunter would also be able to come off the bench as a sixth man, which would reduce the risk of injury and keep him in the role he flourished during the 2023-24 season.