Lauri Markkanen of Jazz F inks 5-year, $238M deal
The Utah Jazz inked All-Star forward Lauri Markkanen to a fresh five-year, $238 million deal on Wednesday.
His representative confirmed to ESPN that the reworked contract and extension includes $220 million in new funds.
Markkanen, 27, had one year and $18 million remaining on his agreement. The new arrangement boosts his 2024-25 earnings by $24 million and adds four seasons and $196 million, according to Michael Lelchitski of Sports International Group.
The 7-foot-tall player from Finland was named the NBA's Most Improved Player in his debut season with Utah in 2022-23 and earned his first selection to the All-Star team during that same season.
Markkanen averaged 23.2 points and 8.2 rebounds while shooting 39.9 percent from beyond the arc in 55 starts last year.
A first-round selection (No. 7 overall) in the 2017 NBA Draft, Markkanen holds career averages of 18.1 points and 7.3 rebounds in 403 games (377 starts) with the Chicago Bulls (2017-21), Cleveland Cavaliers (2021-22), and Jazz.
According to his agent, the extension also prevents Markkanen from being traded for six months. This extends beyond the Feb. 6 trade deadline, meaning Utah cannot move him until next offseason at the earliest.