On a 12-game winning streak, the Detroit Pistons are the hottest team in the NBA as of Sunday evening, and have a three-game lead over the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference. Pistons fans are already dreaming big, but some are wondering whether the team is one piece away from true title contention. Those fans' favorite trade target has been Lauri Markkanen.
On a rebuilding Utah Jazz team, Markkanen is thought to be available, and he fills an obvious need for Detroit as an elite shooter and a secondary scorer.
It turns out, however, Utah's asking price might not be realistic. NBA insider Jake Fischer reported on Sunday that the Jazz will "almost certainly" want Ausar Thompson back in a trade. They are reportedly very high on him as they tried to trade up for him in the 2023 NBA draft, and want players who can help them be competitive in the 2026-27 season in return for Markkanen. As Fischer adds, the Pistons are presumably not interested in parting ways with Thompson, making this a difficult trade to pull off.
Pistons Shouldn't Trade Ausar Thompson for Lauri Markkanen
Utah's lead decision-maker, Danny Ainge, is known to be a tough negotiator. So, this could be posturing to make sure they get the best offers for Markkanen. Perhaps the Pistons could still swing a deal by including Ron Holland or Jaden Ivey in addition to significant draft capital and matching salary. Regardless of what the true asking price is, the Pistons need to make sure they try everything in their power to add Markkanen before the trade deadline.
If the inclusion of Thompson is non-negotiable for Utah, then the Pistons should walk away. Otherwise, Detroit should be willing to give multiple unprotected first-round picks and one of Ivey and Holland. It's difficult to find a better option for the Pistons than Markkanen, both in terms of his age, upside, and seamless fit.
As good as the Pistons have been, they still need a little more shooting and scoring. Markkanen is not elite as a primary option, but he is a very efficient offensive player who can play on or off the ball, making him an elite secondary option. Plus, Detroit has a big hole at power forward, especially in the future once Tobias Harris' contract expires. Markkanen can play multiple positions, defend reasonably well, and play at an All-Star level for at least several more years.
Unfortunately, however, that is still not worth giving up Ausar Thompson for.