After a career-high campaign during his first year in Utah, Markkanen took a slight step back in 2023-24, though injuries were the main culprit. He missed 17 of Utah's final 21 games, including nine straight to end the campaign and didn't participate in the Olympic Qualifying Tournament with Finland in July due to a right shoulder injury. He's expected to be 100 percent for training camp in the fall and can't be traded in 2024-25 after signing a five-year, $238 million extension this offseason. Markkanen has finished inside the top 100 in eight-category leagues just three times in his career, including a 68th-place finish last year. His 26th-place finish in 2022-23 is starting to look like an outlier. However, when he's available, Markkanen's elite three-point shot and efficient offensive game make him a strong fantasy option, regardless of who he's sharing the court with. Read Past Outlooks
$Signed a four-year, $195.87 million contract extension with the Jazz in July of 2024.
Personal Bio/PreCareer Summary
Lauri Elias Markkanen was born in Vantaa, Finland in 1997 to Pekka and Riikka Markkanen. His father Pekka attended the University of Kansas in 1989-90 and then played professionally in Finland. As a teenager, the younger Markkanen saw time at the junior level for HoNsU in Jyvaskyla. He then moved on to HBA-Marsky in the second-tier Finnish league before leaving for the University of Arizona in 2016. Markkanen has represented Finland in many international events, with his most notable accomplishments finishing as leading scorer at both the 2015 U18 Euros and 2016 U20 Euros. He has been actively involved with eco-friendly causes raising awareness for climate change. You can follow Markkanen on Twitter (@MarkkanenLauri) and Instagram (@laurimarkkanen). It did not take long for Markkanen to establish himself as a go-to player for coach Sean Miller at Arizona. The Finnish seven-footer scored at least 13 points in his first nine games, including the first of his six double-doubles for the season. He helped the Wildcats beat Michigan State and Texas A&M prior to the Pac-12 Conference schedule. Markkanen's production did not slow down against conference foes. He had a string of 20-point games in wins over Colorado, Arizona State and USC, including a career-high 30 points in the win over the rival Sun Devils. Despite slumping briefly in early February with four straight single-point efforts, the towering forward rebounded late in conference play and kept the momentum through the postseason. He helped Arizona win the Pac-12 Conference Tournament by averaging 20.0 points. The squad advanced to the Sweet 16 with wins over North Dakota and Saint Mary's. Markkanen averaged 18.0 points and 8.5 rebounds in that pair of victories. The Wildcat season ended against Xavier. Markkanen then announced his intention to enter the NBA Draft after the season.
Reaches extension with Utah
FUtah Jazz
Shoulder
August 7, 2024
Marrkanen (shoulder) agreed to a five-year, $238 million contract extension with the Jazz on Wednesday, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reports.
ANALYSIS The extension includes a renegotiation of his 2024-25 salary, with Markkanen earning another $24 million on top of the $18 million he was already fully guaranteed. With the extension, Markkanen will not be eligible to be traded prior to the Feb. 6 deadline, so the forward could be in store for a long-term stay in Utah. Markkanen will be a popular target early on in fantasy drafts during the upcoming season after averaging 23.2 points, 8.2 rebounds, 3.2 three-pointers, 2.0 assists in 33.1 minutes per game over 55 appearances in 2023-24.
2023 NBA Per Game Split Stats - Starting/Off Bench
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2023 NBA Per Game Split Stats - Days Rest
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Stat Review
How does Lauri Markkanen compare to other players?
This section compares his stats with all players from the previous three seasons (minimum 200 minutes played)*. The bar represents the player's percentile rank. For example, if the bar is halfway across, then the player falls into the 50th percentile for that stat and it would be considered average.
True Shooting %
An advanced statistic that measures a player's efficiency at shooting the ball that takes field goal percentage, free throw percentage, and three point percentage into account.
Effective Field Goal %
A statistic that adjusts field goal percentage to account for the fact that three-point field goals count for three points while field goals only count for two points.
3-Point Attempt Rate
Percentage of field goal attempts from three point range.
Free Throw Rate
Number of free throw attempts per field goal attempt.
Offensive Rebound %
An estimate of the percentage of available offensive rebounds a player grabbed while they were on the floor.
Defensive Rebound %
An estimate of the percentage of available defensive rebounds a player grabbed while they were on the floor.
Total Rebound %
An estimate of the percentage of available rebounds a player grabbed while they were on the floor.
Assist %
An estimate of the percentage of teammate field goals a player assisted while they were on the floor.
Steal %
An estimate of the percentage of opponent possessions that end with a steal by the player while they were on the floor.
Block %
An estimate of the percentage of opponent two-point field goal attempts blocked by the player while they were on the floor.
Turnover %
An estimate of turnovers committed per 100 plays.
Usage %
An estimate of the percentage of team plays used by a player while they were on the floor.
Fantasy Points Per Game
NBA Fantasy Points Per Game.
Fantasy Points Per Minute
NBA Fantasy Points Per Minute.
True Shooting %
63.1%
Effective Field Goal %
57.8%
3-Point Attempt Rate
49.3%
Free Throw Rate
31.1%
Offensive Rebound %
7.4%
Defensive Rebound %
19.6%
Total Rebound %
13.6%
Assist %
9.5%
Steal %
1.2%
Block %
1.3%
Turnover %
6.4%
Usage %
0.0%
Fantasy Points Per Game
38.8
Fantasy Points Per Minute
1.2
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Total
Per Game
Per 36
NBA Historical Fantasy Stats
How are these ratings calculated?
Our historical fantasy ratings are standard scores calculated using 8-Category settings with 12 teams and 13 players per team.
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NBA Per Game Historical Fantasy Stats
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NBA Per 36 Historical Fantasy Stats
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Historical ADP
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Jazz Depth Chart
Our full team depth charts are reserved for RotoWire subscribers.
Average Fantasy Points are determined when Lauri Markkanen was active vs. non-active during the season. Click here to view average fantasy points for a different time period.
Minutes
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Past Fantasy Outlooks
2023
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
2017
Markkanen was one of the feel-good stories to come out of the 2022-23 season, ending as the 23rd-ranked player in standard formats and winning the Most Improved Player award. Coming into the season, while he was seen as a potential breakout candidate, even the savviest of managers could not have foreseen what was to come. Playing as the primary offensive option on a rebuilding Utah team, Markkanen hit the ground running, putting up first-round value for much of the first half of the season. He closed the season with career-high numbers of 25.6 points, 8.6 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 3.0 three-pointers. He also shot a career-best 49.9 percent from the field and 87.5 percent from the stripe. Despite coming into the season as a team with nothing to play for, the Jazz surprised many people, with Markkanen at the forefront of their early season charge. Things did taper off as the season progressed, during which time Markkanen was given more than a few nights off. After a strong NBA draft this summer, the Jazz are already looking as though they might be ready to push back into the playoffs. Markkanen will almost certainly be the number one option once again, ensuring another strong season. However, with the addition of talent like John Collins, as well as the rise of Walker Kessler, there is a chance Markkanen could struggle to repeat his heroics from last season. He feels like a relatively safe target in the early third round of drafts.
Markkanen's addition to Cleveland last season on a four-year, $64 million contract was a bit odd given the presence of Jarrett Allen, Evan Mobley and Kevin Love already in the frontcourt. However, the team made it work by giving Markkanen most of his minutes at small forward -- a new development in his career. Previously, the seventh overall pick from 2017 only spent meaningful time at the four and five. The change didn't affect Markkanen's numbers much compared to the prior two seasons. In 30.8 minutes per game, he averaged 14.8 points on 45/36/87 shooting, 5.7 rebounds and 1.3 assists. That was good for rank 100 in per-game fantasy production. Markkanen has failed to capitalize on the upside he showed as a sophomore with the Bulls in 2018-19. He ranked 54th in per-game fantasy production that season behind 18.7 points on 43/36/87 shooting, 9.0 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 32.3 minutes. However, with the rebuilding Jazz, who will presumably aim to feature him, it's possible Markkanen trends closer to those numbers again. A bounceback year may be in store.
Markkanen saw his workload reduced for the second season in a row in 2020-21, and his health also remained an issue. Markkanen has appeared in just 153 games over the past three seasons. He hit career lows with 13.6 points and 5.3 rebounds, though he did reach career highs in field-goal percentage (48.0) and three-point percentage (40.2). He'll be joining a new team in 2020-21, as he was part of a sign-and-trade that landed him in Cleveland on a four-year, $64 million contract. Given the size of his contract, it seems possible Markkanen will start at power forward, even if that means bringing the No. 3 overall pick Evan Mobley or Kevin Love off the bench. The other option to get Markkanen in the starting lineup would be trying to play him at small forward, but that's something he's done very little of in the past. That would also result in kicking Isaac Okoro -- the fifth pick from last year -- to the bench, though it'd result in less backlash from the fanbase. Regardless, Markkanen should be in line to see minutes anywhere from the high-20s to the mid-30s on the Cavaliers depending on how he produces. He should be the team's No. 3 option at worst at any given time, and that could improve to No. 2 or even No. 1 if he sees minutes with the bench unit. Ultimately, this is a fresh start for Markkanen, and while it may not be the smoothest transition into a new role, it certainly has potential on the rebuilding Cavs.
Markkanen disappointingly saw a dropoff in production during his third season in the league, posting career lows in points (14.7), rebounds (6.3) and field goal percentage (42.5). To add to that, injuries have slowed his progress, as he's missed time in each season thus far. It could be a make-or-break year for Markkanen in Chicago, and it'll be interesting to see if he's able to thrive alongside center Wendell Carter and shoot-first guards Coby White and Zach LaVine. The 23-year-old will be looking for a bounce-back under new coach Billy Donovan, who will likely want to fully utilize the 7-footer's diverse offensive talents. Markkanen's range is a much sought-after quality for big men in the modern game, and he averaged 6.3 three-point attempts per while firing at a decent 34.4 percent clip last season. If he's able to consistently make threes, rebound and stay healthy, the ceiling appears high for Markkanen under his new coach.
Though Markkanen has struggled to stay healthy in his first two seasons, totaling only 120 games played, his time on the floor has been impressive. The No. 7 overall pick in 2017, Markkanen set career highs nearly across the board during his sophomore campaign. Notably, he became the first player in NBA history to average at least 18 points, 9 rebounds and 2 three-pointers at 21 years old or younger. While the Bulls signed Thaddeus Young to shore up frontcourt depth, Markkanen is still in line to start at power forward and see 30-plus minutes per game. It seems unlikely the 7-footer will ever be a force defensively or as a passer, but his upside as a scoring big with great rebounding ability is undeniable. In Markkanen's 52 appearances last season, he racked up eight 30-point games, 20 contests with at least 10 rebounds and five performances with five made threes. But he's not just a stretch-big. Markkanen has shown aggressiveness, making 3.3 free-throws per game last season. Only three other players 6-foot-10 or taller in 2018-19 converted at least 2 threes and 3 free-throws per game (Kevin Love, Blake Griffin and Danilo Gallinari). All things considered, Markkanen looks to be on track to become one of the NBA's top power forwards sooner than later.
The seventh overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, Markkanen wasted no time bursting onto the scene for the Bulls. He started all 68 games he appeared in, led Chicago in rebounds per game (7.5), had the third-highest scoring average on the team (15.2) of everyone who saw at least 24 games with the club, and became the fastest player in NBA history to 100 made three-pointers. The sky seems to be the limit for the 21-year-old, who also recorded 14 double-doubles and two 30-point games. The addition of Jabari Parker via free agency and Wendell Carter through the draft gives Markkanen some more frontcourt competition, though it’s hard to imagine Markkanen getting the short end of the stick. Though he missed a handful of games to due nagging back spasms towards the end of the season, it’s tough to judge the seriousness of the issue, as the Bulls were more than willing to sit key players in order to secure a higher draft pick. So, in evaluating his Fantasy stock for 2018-19, those absences can arguably be ignored.
Born in Finland, Markkanen opted to come Stateside for his collegiate career, but spent just one standout season in Arizona before declaring for the 2017 NBA Draft. With Arizona, the seven-foot big man showed an impressive jump shot for his size, shooting 49.2 percent from the field, which translated to a team-high 20.2 points per game. Markkanen was also able to hit from the perimeter with a 42.3 percent clip from the three-point line, giving him the size and offensive skill set that's highly coveted in today's NBA. That prompted the Bulls to select Markkanen with the seventh overall pick of this year's draft. He's heading into one of the more beneficial environments of this year's rookie class, as the Bulls are in full rebuild mode. They traded away superstar Jimmy Butler to the Timberwolves and could potentially part with Dwyane Wade as well, in what appears to be a youth movement in Chicago. Markkanen is a candidate to immediately jump into the starting lineup as a stretch-four with his shooting ability. While he's got a ton of work to do defensively and needs to bulk up in order to have a chance on the boards against some of the bigger power forwards in the league, Markkanen will still be one of the more intriguing rookies due to his offensive ability and opportunity for playing time in the frontcourt. Markkanen will have to hold of Nikola Mirotic and Bobby Portis for rights to a starter's job, but look for his role to ultimately expand as the year goes on. Markkanen could be worth taking a flier on in later rounds of deeper leagues, as the Bulls are fully expected to commit to his development as one of the young building blocks for the future.
More Fantasy News
Will sign extension with Utah
FUtah Jazz
Shoulder
August 6, 2024
Markkanen (shoulder) is expected to sign a long-term extension with the Jazz in the coming days, Shams Charania of The Athletic reports.
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Out for FIBA Qualifying Tournament
FUtah Jazz
Shoulder
June 4, 2024
Markkanen (shoulder) won't play for the Finnish national team during the 2024 FIBA Men's Olympic Qualifying Tournament in July, Evan Sidery of Forbes.com reports.
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Out at least two weeks
FUtah Jazz
Shoulder
March 30, 2024
The Jazz announced Saturday that Markkanen aggravated a right shoulder impingement and will be re-evaluated in two weeks, Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune reports.
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Sitting out Friday
FUtah Jazz
Shoulder
March 29, 2024
Markkanen (shoulder) won't play in Friday's matchup with the Rockets.
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Latest Fantasy Rumors
Staying in Utah for at least a year
FUtah Jazz
August 7, 2024
Markkanen will be ineligible to be traded during the 2024-25 season after signing a contract extension with the Jazz on Wednesday, The Athletic reports.
ANALYSIS Players can't be traded for six months after signing an extension, but six months after Wednesday is one day after the trade deadline for the 2024-25 regular season. Trade rumors swirled around Markkanen for months, but the structure of the extension seems to be a signal that Utah intends to keep the 27-year-old forward for the long haul and have him be the foundation piece for an otherwise young roster.