The Utah Jazz have signed forward Lauri Markkanen to a five-year, $238million contract that incluꦇdes money added to next season’s salary and four additional years throug🎃h the 2028-29 campaign.
The 2022-23 All-Star and NBA Most Improved Player will see his salary increase f𒀰rom $18million to $42million next season before earning $196million from 2025-29.
“I’m excited to get this extension done,” Marꦐkka༺nen said. "I’m excited to get back to work and build with this franchise.”
The Minnesota Timberwolves selected Markkanen with the seventh overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft befo🐷re deali𒊎ng him to the Chicago Bulls in a draft-night trade.
Markkanen went on to earn First-Team All-R🦩ookie honours in 2017-18 before Chicago traded him to the Cleveland Cavaliers in A♔ugust 2021.
He spent one season with the Cavaliers before they dealt him♛ to Utah in the trade that sent Donovan Mitchell to Cleveland.
Markkanen averaged a career-high 25.6 points in his first season with the Jazz 🅘in 2022-23 while adding 8.6 rebounds per game. He was named an All-Star for the first t꧂ime as well as the NBA’s Most Improved Player.
The 27-year-old Finland native followed that campaign by avera💮ging 23.2 points and 8.2 rebounds la✤st season.
Markka🌼nen's 1,004 made 3-pointers rank third all-time in NBA history for players seven foot or taller behind Dirk Nowitzki (1,982) and Channing Frye (1,049).
