Lauri Markkanen
#23PF · Utah Jazz
Day-to-Day
MIP '23All-Rookie 1st Team '18
Elite Scorer
Height
7'1"
Weight
240 lbs
Age
29
College
Arizona
Experience
8 yrs
C+
A
B+
A-
N/A
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Grade Lauri Markkanen
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The Verdict on Lauri, in One Read
On the field, Lauri Markkanen grades out as a strong PF for Utah Jazz (B+ Impact). That places him 6th of 84 graded power forwards. In his on-court role, the grade is excellent (A- Role), reflecting how he produces relative to others at his position. The contract is harder to defend: the Contract Value Index calls it fairly priced (C+), with the cost outrunning the output. The public read is very positive (A Sentiment), drawn from current news and social signal rather than the box score.
Career StatsA-
| Year | Team | GP | PPG | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | FG% | 3PT% | FT% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Career |  | 492 | 26.7 | 6.9 | 2.1 | 1.0 | 0.5 | 47.7% | 37.0% | 87.1% |
| 2025-26 | | 42 | 26.7 | 6.9 | 2.1 |
Performance Grade by Season
PeakB+LongevityLong CareerRecentB
| Season | Team | GP | PTS | REB | AST | FG% | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | | 42 | 26.7 | 6.9 | 2.1 | 47.7% | B+ B+ |
| 2024-25 | | 47 | 19.0 | 5.9 | 1.5 | 42.3% | B- B- |
| 2023-24 | | 55 | 23.2 | 8.2 | 2.0 | 48.0% | B+ B+ |
| 2022-23 | | 66 | 25.6 | 8.6 | 1.9 | 49.9% | A- A- |
| 2021-22 |  | 61 | 14.8 | 5.7 | 1.3 | 44.5% | C+ C+ |
| 2020-21 |  | 51 | 13.6 | 5.3 | 0.9 | 48.0% | C C |
| 2019-20 | | 50 | 14.7 | 6.3 | 1.5 | 42.5% | C+ C+ |
| 2018-19 | | 52 | 18.7 | 9.0 | 1.4 | 43.0% | B+ B+ |
| 2017-18 | | 68 | 15.2 | 7.5 | 1.2 | 43.4% | B- B- |
Grades reflect the player's performance in each season. Header grade shows the current season.
Current Contract
Length
4 years
Total Value
$195.9M
Guaranteed
$92.5M
AAV
$46.4M/yr
Guaranteed %47%
Contract Value Index (CVI)
C+
Fair Value
OverpayFair ValueGreat Value
Net of age, position, and term, Lauri Markkanen's deal earns a C+ Contract Value Index. At $46.4M AAV over four years, Markkanen carries a max-contract frame for a player averaging 26.7 PPG on elite scoring efficiency across 42 games in the 2025-26 season—production that would ordinarily justify that price point for a franchise cornerstone. However, the CVI reflects a fundamental misalignment: Utah is signaling through recent organizational moves and trade speculation that they view him as a movable asset rather than the centerpiece of their next competitive window, which introduces meaningful uncertainty into the contract's long-term value. At 29 years old and in his ninth season as an established veteran, Markkanen has delivered on his talent promise—validated by his 2023 Most Improved Player award and All-Star-caliber performance—but the Jazz's pivot toward youth-driven prospects and the injury cloud currently surrounding his availability status create a scenario where the back half of his deal may not generate the return Utah implicitly committed to when they handed out this agreement. The combination of organizational ambiguity, lingering health questions, and his placement on the trade block despite elite on-court numbers leaves this contract in a holding pattern: too much proven talent to discount, but too much franchise dysfunction to celebrate.
Performance Analysis
A-
#6 of 84 Power Forwards
FC
Contracts in the Same Value Band
Other same-position deals the Contract Value Index also places in the C band — a quick read on where Lauri's contract sits relative to comparable money.
How Lauri Compares at the Position
Lauri Markkanen ranks 6th of 84 graded power forwards by performance. That slots Lauri between Evan Mobley (A+) just ahead and Paolo Banchero (A-) just behind.
Graded higher
Evan MobleyCleveland CavaliersA+Chet HolmgrenOklahoma City ThunderAGiannis AntetokounmpoMilwaukee BucksA-Lauri MarkkanenA-
Graded lower
Paolo BancheroOrlando MagicTransaction History
No transactions found for this player.
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About this player
Lauri Markkanen is a veteran in his 8th NBA season listed at PF for the Utah Jazz. FanVerdicts covers every NBA player, team, GM, and transaction — and puts your verdict on all of it. Sign in to cast your Fan Verdict on Lauri Markkanen, see where the crowd lands, and argue the call. FanVerdicts also brings its own read — performance, sentiment, and Contract Value Index — as one honest input alongside the crowd's. Where FanVerdicts has weighed in so far: Contract Value Index C+, Performance A-, Sentiment A.
The crowd's Fan Verdict moves in real time as fans vote on this profile. FanVerdicts' own read updates as new data lands — performance recalculates when NBA game stats post, sentiment shifts with media coverage and fan discussion, and the Contract Value Index recomputes when contract terms change. Contract details below show the structure (years, total value, average annual value, guarantees) behind the Contract Value Index read.
For league-wide context, the NBA hub has team rankings, GM report cards, the transactions feed, and live scoreboards. The NBA player rankings page sorts every active player by performance and contract value within their position.