Klay Thompson’s departure has left the Golden State Warriors without their legendary Big Three. Star Stephen Curry and Draymond Green will be without one of their most valuable assets this season, a player with whom they won several championships and who has elected to continue his career with the Dallas Mavericks.
The Golden State Warriors’ poor tenth-place finish last season was clearly a setback for the Californian franchise, which will now try to regroup and return to the top of the standings.
A key to returning to their past glory is to bolster a team that currently consists of few stars and youthful talent that has yet to establish itself in the NBA spotlight.
This offseason, the Warriors’ management had numerous players on their radar to strengthen the squad, with one in particular that they were eager to pursue. However, it was recently reported that this star will not be joining the Bay Area because he signed a lucrative contract extension with his present squad.
The player in question is Lauri Markkanen. The Finnish star has signed a lucrative contract extension and will stay with the Utah Jazz for a few more years. As a result, Golden State will have to search elsewhere for their best reinforcement option. Curry has made it known to the Warriors’ executive office that he does not want to have the final say on roster decisions.
Markkanen’s lucrative extension with the Jazz
Lauri Markkanen was unquestionably one of the most sought-after NBA players this offseason. His recent stellar performances hinted at a possible exit from Salt Lake City.
To the astonishment of many, the Finnish athlete chose to re-sign with the Jazz and will remain in Utah for at least another five years. Markkanen will earn an additional $24 million on top of the $18 million he was scheduled to earn for the 2024-25 season, and he has signed a four-year, $196 million contract extension.
Markkanen will earn a total of $238 million over the next five seasons, including $220 million in added money from his offseason contract negotiations with the Jazz. Furthermore, he cannot be traded during the 2024-25 season, because he signed this new contract on August 7, and the NBA trade deadline for that season is February 6.
Leave a Reply