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SALT LAKE CITY — Lauri Markkanen may soon hold a dubious honor.
If the Philadelphia 76ers make it through the Eastern Conference play-in tournament, the Utah Jazz star would be the active player with the most points but no playoff appearances.
That's not exactly what he was hoping for after seven seasons in the NBA.
The 26-year-old Finnish forward has been at a near-All-NBA level in his two seasons in Utah, and he was named an All-Star last season and received All-NBA votes. He continued playing near that same level this season, even as opposing teams loaded up on him.
So how long is he willing to be patient as the front office rebuilds?
"I want to win basketball games and get to the playoffs; and hopefully at the end, get all the way, and that's the ultimate goal," Markkanen said. "They know that."
CEO of basketball Danny Ainge said the organization is ready to go "big game hunting" this offseason to try and add pieces around Markkanen that would immediately raise the team's prospects.
But the front office has made it clear it won't sacrifice Utah's long-term vision for short-term gains.
"I don't want to waste any years, but you also have to do it within the timeline that makes sense," general manager Justin Zanik said. "We're not trying to say, 'Hey, Lauri, we want to make you happy. You've never made the playoffs so we're gonna just burn all our picks and get some marginal-level repeat player and maybe we'll be a seven seed.' The goal is to make the playoffs and then grow from there."
So where does that leave Markkanen?
It's out of Markkanen's nature to demand the front office to make this move or that move, so it's unlikely Ainge or Zanik will be hearing any requests from him as they look to retool this summer.
Instead, Markkanen has put the onus on himself. If he wants to make the playoffs, it's up to him to improve enough to where the Jazz are at that point.
"One way to effect that is to get so much better and work on your game that kind of speed things up," Markkanen said. "The better I'm playing, the better our team is playing. It's gonna speed up the process and push the young guys. …That's my part of the job to fast forward this thing."
Ainge was happy to hear that response.
"I mean, that's a great answer. … Lauri has been great," he said. "His leadership skills are growing, he wants to teach the young guys that they can push themselves even more."
The Jazz can offer Markkanen, who has one year left on his current deal, an extension this summer. That would cement him as the focal point of a franchise as the Jazz try to return to the playoffs and build toward being a contending team. He made $17 million this year and will make $18 million next year — making him one of the best values in the entire league.
"I prefer not to talk about that," Ainge said when asked about the plans for the extension. "But I mean, I think it's pretty clear that Lauri Markkanen is a pretty good player level. We love him and we'd like to have him around."
Zanik was a little more forthright earlier in April. He said there were multiple paths to reach an extension that the Jazz could explore while still having cap room to use in free agency and for potential trades, though any extension wouldn't be able to be signed until early August.
"I've seen the NBA part of people turning down extensions or signing them too early," Markkanen said of the prospects of being offered a new contract. "You kind of see everything, so I've got to sit down and think about it."
That said, he reiterated his trust in what the Jazz's front office is building.
"They want to win a championship, as well," Markkanen said. "So they're doing the best they can towards that. I think we have a lot of good people in this organization that've shown they can do the job, so I have to trust in those guys."
And as for staying in Utah long term, that's something he and his family are more than open to doing.
"We love to be here. I've said it multiple times and my family likes to be here," he said, before he paused and added with a smile, "Especially if they got a hockey team."
