Paul Pierce speculates Lauri Markkanen's potential future teammate on Jazz: "They need another spark"
Lauri Markkanen is staying with the Utah Jazz after signing a five-year, $238 million extension, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. However, Celtics legend Paul Pierce argued that the Jazz require one more piece to be considered a threat in the Western Conference.
Since being handed the keys to the franchise in the 2022-23 season, the Jazz forward has lived up to the expectations with tremendous production on the court. He originally started his NBA career with the Chicago Bulls, where he played four seasons and had one season in Cleveland before being acquired by Utah.
Pierce spoke on Kevin Garnett's "KG Certified" podcast, where he revealed the ideal piece he sees could take the ball club to the next level.
"Markkanen starting to become into his own," Pierce said. "... You get him in Utah, they going to be a problem ... Trae Young. I don't like him in Atlanta right now. ... You throw Trae Young in Utah right now, they'll be a problem. ... You put them two all-stars with all them role players ... they'll look like a young Denver. But they need another spark."
Markkanen is one of the most efficient shotmaking forwards in the league today. He is entering his eighth NBA season and will only continue to improve from here on out. However, adding an all-star point guard like Trae Young could lead to an electric tandem on the court.
The pick-and-roll possibilities can provide easy and reliable offensive options for Utah. The upside to them playing alongside each other is that both can hit shots at a high level, which could further strengthen the team's spacing.
Lauri Markkanen talked about feeling ecstatic after securing an extension deal with the Utah Jazz
ESPN reported that after signing a massive extension deal to remain in Utah, Lauri Markkanen looks forward to getting to work.
"They've all showed their belief in me," Markkanen said, "from the ownership to the front office to [coach] Will [Hardy]. It's a comfortable environment and those guys' resumes speak for themselves. I trust in the organization to help grow me as a person and a player, to build our team and I'm ready to take on the challenge."
After trade rumors involving the Golden State Warriors in the offseason, making Markkanen the face of the team moving forward solidifies the Jazz's rebuilding plans. In the 55 games he played last season, he averaged 23.2 points (48.0% shooting, including 39.9% from beyond the arc) and 8.2 rebounds.