Lauri Markkanen Plans to Delay Signing New Deal Until After Wednesday to Avoid 2024-25 Trade Eligibility; per @JakeLFischer
"If Markkanen waits to sign his new deal until Wednesday or later, Markkanen won’t be eligible to be traded during this upcoming 2024-25 season. He… pic.twitter.com/K8qubdf2Uj
— BASKETBALL ON 𝕏 (@BASKETBALLonX) August 5, 2024
Jazz Likely To Sign Markannen to Extension After Aug 6
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August 5, 2024 1 Comment
My prediction is they sign him after the 7th, give him some peace of mind, and really try and compete. Wouldn’t be too surprised to see them make a multi-pick offer to acquire a decent wing…like J-Grant… since they’re currently well under the salary floor. Portland could move off his deal and add draft picks in the doing.
Utah will likely end up under the minimum salary floor and, after researching it myself, I find it unlikely that any small market owner would be excited about that. The penalty for coming in under $126, 529 million minimum salary floor is a 100% (!!!!) reduction in what you get from the luxury tax payments of other teams at season’s end.
That is significant, last season it was a 50% reduction but this all but ensures small market teams can’t cheap or the primary tool they have for making money, getting paid to suck by other teams who pay to win, will be taken away.
So I’m thinking Utah will be in the mix for SOMETHING odd weird in the next week or so. They have 10 players currently under contract, NBA minimum is 12 and are looking at forfeiting their luxury tax bonus if they don’t spend $22+ mil.