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Grade the mock trade: Heat give up on Lillard, acquire All-Star forward

By Noah Decker

SALT LAKE CITY UT- DECEMBER 28: Lauri Markkanen #23 of the Utah Jazz walks to the foul line against the Miami Heat during the second half of their game December 31, 2022 at the Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City Utah. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement(Photo by Chris Gardner/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY UT- DECEMBER 28: Lauri Markkanen #23 of the Utah Jazz walks to the foul line against the Miami Heat during the second half of their game December 31, 2022 at the Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City Utah. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement(Photo by Chris Gardner/Getty Images) /
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SALT LAKE CITY UT- DECEMBER 28: Collin Sexton #2 of the Utah Jazz has the ball knocked away by Duncan Robinson #55 of the Miami Heat during the second half of their game December 31, 2022 at the Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City Utah. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement(Photo by Chris Gardner/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY UT- DECEMBER 28: Collin Sexton #2 of the Utah Jazz has the ball knocked away by Duncan Robinson #55 of the Miami Heat during the second half of their game December 31, 2022 at the Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City Utah. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement(Photo by Chris Gardner/Getty Images) /

Last offseason, the Utah Jazz traded their star duo of Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert. They received a very large amount of future assets and prepared to rebuild. The Jazz were much better than they expected to be last season. Much of that is due to the breakout season of Lauri Markkanen.

Utah owns many of the future picks of Cleveland and Minnesota, but they still control the majority of their own draft picks. It would benefit them to get the most value out of those picks by pushing a full-scale rebuild and trading their top players.

Markkanen’s value is as high as it has ever been. Trading him now could mean having even more assets in the future. If the Jazz are patient, they could have the players and draft capital to be one of the best teams in the league in the next 4-5 seasons.

Jazz executive Danny Ainge once made the Boston Celtics a powerhouse franchise. He knows how to stack trades on top of each other and build value. He has a chance to do the same thing in Utah.

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