The moment the Dallas Mavericks won the 2025 NBA draft lottery, the floodgates for conspiracy theories opened. The Mavericks made the third-highest jump in terms of moving up in the draft lottery and winning. The only other teams that have moved 10 places to win the No.1 pick are the 1993 Orlando Magic and the 2008 Chicago Bulls.
Fans of franchises like the Jazz, Pelicans, and Wizards were outraged that they didn’t get a top-three pick despite having the worst record. What might sound like a crazy idea right now might be a plausible scenario. Fans were joking that the Utah Jazz should trade Lauri Markkanen to the Lakers to get the No.1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. How realistic is that scenario? Let’s take a look.
Jazz Should Trade Lauri Markkanen to Lakers to Get a High Pick
The idea behind the conspiracy theory is that every team that trades its star player to the Lakers gets rewarded in the draft. It happened when the New Orleans Pelicans traded Anthony Davis to the Lakers. They got the No.1 pick in the draft, jumping up from the seventh position to grab Zion Williamson. This time, the Mavericks traded Luka Doncic to the Lakers, and moved from 11th to first to possibly grab Cooper Flagg.
The Utah Jazz, as currently constructed, are a long way from contending or making the playoffs. They are a small market team that rarely attracts superstar talent on the free agent market. Their only path to a great star is through the draft, or if they luck out in a trade (that is how they got Lauri in the first place).
Looking at the Utah Jazz draft history in recent years, it is clear that they don’t hit on talent if they pick later in the lottery. Per the latest mock draft by ESPN, the Jazz should select Jeremiah Fears, a good prospect, but not the type of star that will put fans in the stands.
Should Utah Realistically Trade Markkanen?
The Utah Jazz have a Lauri problem in terms he is 27 years old and will turn 28 this season. Those are usually the prime years of a player, and Markkanen was an All-Star two seasons ago. His production dipped this season. Signed through a long-term deal, this might be the best summer to capitalize on Lauri. He has four years left on a reasonable contract. The Jazz, on the other hand, look like a team at the crossroads. General manager Danny Ainge is responsible for making a complete rebuild, but the team doesn’t have great young players who they can hope to blossom. Out of their last two drafts, only Keyonte George looks like a keeper.
Can the Lakers Trade for Lauri Markkanen?
For the Lakers, Lauri Markkanen would be the perfect star to trade for, and pair him with LeBron James and Luka. He is a career 37% shooter from behind the arc, but three seasons ago, he averaged close to 40% on almost eight attempts per game. He would open up so much space for Luka and LeBron to drive and operate in the paint.
The question remains: do they have the assets to entertain the Jazz in a trade? Ainge is known as someone who wants to cede out every asset, and then some more. The Lakers have four first-round picks they can trade (either picks or swaps) in 2026, 28, 30, and 31. The problem is that they do not have many attractive young players aside from Dalton Knecht. To get there, they might have to trade Austin Reaves.
Strength of the 2026 Draft Class
The three best prospects of the 2026 draft class include Cameron Boozer, AJ Dybantsa, and Darryn Peterson. Boozer is the son of Carlos Boozer, a former Utah Jazz player. He is a power forward who many believe has the trajectory to be a solid forward like Jayson Tatum. Dybantsa is an elite athlete, while Peterson is a quick, combo guard who plays both sides of the ball.
All in all, landing in the top three in the 2026 draft could be a way for the Jazz to add a truly great superstar and All-Star player. Right now, it is a joke that they can trade Markkanen to the Lakers to get there. But do not count this possibility out.
Featured image: © Christopher Creveling-Imagn Images
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