Lou Williams demands Utah Jazz trade Lauri Markkanen: “Time for Lauri to go somewhere else”

And from what Lou Williams has witnessed from the initial days of the 2025-26 season, he is convinced that Markannen deserves a chance to compete for a championship. In fact, Lou pleaded for Lauri to …

Being in his ninth season in the NBA, it finally seems Lauri Markkanen has become hellbent on establishing himself as one of the most versatile power forwards in the league, someone who can leverage his size to score effortlessly from the perimeter as well as in the paint.

And from what Lou Williams has witnessed from the initial days of the 2025-26 season, he is convinced that Markannen deserves a chance to compete for a championship. In fact, Lou pleaded for Lauri to be traded before or at the 2026 deadline, emphasizing that now his game is fully developed, making him a truly reliable force for a real contender.

Williams wants Markkanen to be traded out of the Utah Jazz

So far, the Utah Jazz have managed to win two of their first four games in the 2025-26 season, but the roster clearly lacks the star power or depth to compete with better-knit teams, as their success is mainly reliant on a handful of players.

Nevertheless, Markkanen has been the brightest spot for the Jazz as he not only became the first player after Karl Malone to drop a 50-point game, but over four games, he has recorded a scoring average of 34.0 points.

That is why Williams boldly suggested that it is time for such a great player not to be good on a bad team, but rather to ensure his production gets the limelight it deserves – something that can only happen if the seven-foot forward brings himself to a solid playoff contender in the East or West.

“I hope he gets traded on the deadline. I just feel like he deserves to be on a playoff-contending team, and now that the Utah Jazz has some young pieces, they can kinda restart and rebuild around,” Williams said on an episode of the “Run It Back” show. “This is the time for Lauri to go somewhere else.”

Can Lauri achieve success with the Jazz?

Indeed, the Jazz doesn’t have the experience or firepower to go toe-to-toe with proven championship teams like the Golden State Warriors, the Denver Nuggets, or the Oklahoma City Thunder.

However, what they do possess is boldness and hunger. With Markkanen’s offensive prowess leading the charge, even young guard Keyonte George is averaging 22.3 points per game, with Walker Kessler posting a double-double with 17.0 points per night and Brice Sensabaugh making impactful contributions off the bench. Safe to say that the Jazz have quietly assembled an intriguing young core.

Sure enough, they might not be ready to contend for a title just yet, but they have enough talent to play the role of dark horses in the Western Conference, even in the 2025-26 season. That said, the bigger question looms: will Markkanen truly believe that this Jazz team can make meaningful progress, or will he eventually seek a move to a more established franchise where he can maximize his prime years chasing championships?

Given his current form and mindset, the Finnish big man will give his current team a chance before forcing his way out.

This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Nov 1, 2025, where it first appeared in the Off The Court section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Source: Utah News