Lauri Elias Markkanen (born 22 May 1997) is a Finnish professional basketball player for the Utah Jazz of the National Basketball Association (NBA). In the 2017 NBA draft, he was taken by the Minnesota Timberwolves with the seventh overall pick before being included in a trade to the Chicago Bulls for Jimmy Butler. He is the son of Finnish basketball players Pekka and Riikka Markkanen, and the younger brother of footballer Eero Markkanen.
![]() Markkanen with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2021 | |
No. 23 – Utah Jazz | |
---|---|
Position | Small forward / Power forward |
League | NBA |
Personal information | |
Born | (1997-05-22) 22 May 1997 (age 25) Vantaa, Finland |
Listed height | 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) |
Listed weight | 240 lb (109 kg) |
Career information | |
College | Arizona (2016–2017) |
NBA draft | 2017 / Round: 1 / Pick: 7th overall |
Selected by the Minnesota Timberwolves | |
Playing career | 2014–present |
Career history | |
2014–2016 | HBA-Märsky |
2017–2021 | Chicago Bulls |
2021–2022 | Cleveland Cavaliers |
2022–present | Utah Jazz |
Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Stats ![]() | |
Stats ![]() | |
Markkanen grew up in Jyväskylä, and played his junior years in the local team, HoNsU.[1] Markkanen played for HBA-Märsky in the Finnish second-tier league from 2014 to 2016.
On 17 October 2015, Markkanen verbally committed to NCAA Division I squad Arizona Wildcats prior to the 2016–17 season.[2][3][4] Lauri signed a letter of intent to Arizona on 11 November. ESPN.com reported that the seven-foot Finn was considered "a possible one-and-done candidate for the NBA draft."[5] He became the first player since Mike Bibby to wear the jersey number 10. In January 2017, SB Nation regarded him as "the best shooting 7-footer college basketball has ever seen".[6] Within the same month Markkanen was selected as Pac-12 Player of the Week as well as the Oscar Robertson National Player of the Week.[7][8] He has also been named to the pre-season Karl Malone Award Watchlist,[9] Naismith Award Watchlist,[10] Wooden Award Watchlist,[11] Wooden Award Midseason Top 25,[12] Wayman Tisdale Award Midseason watch list, Oscar Robertson Award Midseason watch list,[13] Karl Malone Award Finalist,[14] Naismith Top 30 Finalist.[15] Markkanen was among the 15 finalists for the John R. Wooden Award.[16]
He recorded a career-high 30 points on 12 Jan against rival Arizona State. Also recording a career-high 13 rebounds three times against Northern Colorado, Washington State, and Washington. His career-high three blocks came against Arizona State in the regular season finale 4 March 2017.
Markkanen was selected to the third team All-American team by the Associated Press, NBC Sports, USA Today, and the Sporting News on 6 March 2017.[17] He was a first team All-Pac-12 selection, as well as first team All-Pac-12 Freshman team and first team All-Pac-12 team in Associated Press.
At the conclusion of his freshman season, Markkanen announced his intention to forgo his final three years of collegiate eligibility and enter the 2017 NBA draft.[18]
Markkanen was drafted by the Minnesota Timberwolves with the seventh pick of the first round of the 2017 NBA draft. On draft night, his rights were traded to the Chicago Bulls along with Zach LaVine and Kris Dunn for Jimmy Butler and the rights to Justin Patton.[19] On 5 July 2017, Markkanen signed with the Bulls.[20]
On 19 October 2017, Markkanen made his NBA debut with the Bulls and scored 17 points.[21] Markkanen then set an NBA record on 24 October, for most 3-pointers in the first three games of an NBA career with ten 3-pointers.[22] Markkanen also asked former NBA player Brian Scalabrine to use his number 24, which Brian allowed.[23] On 30 December, Markkanen scored a career-high 32 points and seven rebounds in a 119–107 win against the Indiana Pacers.[24] On 10 January 2018, Markkanen played a career high 46 minutes, scored a career-high 33 points along with a career-high eight 3-pointers in a double overtime 122–119 win against the New York Knicks. This made him the second seven-foot player to make eight three-pointers in a game (the first being Dirk Nowitzki).[25] On 22 January, he grabbed a career-high 17 rebounds against the New Orleans Pelicans.[26] Four days later, Markkanen blocked a career-high three shots against the Los Angeles Lakers.[27]
After scoring seventeen points against the Milwaukee Bucks on 28 January 2018, Markkanen surpassed Hanno Möttölä (715) as the career leading scorer among NBA players from Finland.[28] On 22 May 2018, he was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team.[29] He ended his rookie season leading the Bulls in rebounds with 7.5 and fourth in scoring with 15.2;[30] his 14 double-doubles was third among rookies behind Kyle Kuzma and Ben Simmons.[31]
Markkanen missed the first 23 games of the season. He had a career-high 19 rebounds in a loss to the Brooklyn Nets on 28 January. He also had 31 points and 18 rebounds in a win over Brooklyn on 8 February; a career-high 35 points along with 15 rebounds in a win over the Boston Celtics on 23 February; and 31 points and 17 rebounds in win over the Atlanta Hawks on 1 March. On 28 March, Markkanen was ruled out for the rest of the season after undergoing tests for his health problems,[32] which he experienced in a 26 March game against the Toronto Raptors.[33] In the 52 games he did play, he was second on the team with 18.7 points and first with 9.0 rebounds and 20 double-doubles (fourth in the NBA).
Markkanen began the season tying a career-high with 35 points along with 17 rebounds in a one-point loss to the Charlotte Hornets, the most opening-day points by a Chicago Bull since Michael Jordan in 1995.[34]
On 30 January 2021, Markkanen scored a season-high 31 points on 12-of-18 shooting from the field and 6-of-11 from three in a 123–122 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers.[35][36][37] After the Bulls added veteran big men Daniel Theis and Nikola Vučević to their roster to fortify their frontcourt, Markkanen lost his starting spot.[38][39][40] On 29 March, Markkanen came off the bench for the first time during the season[41] and the second in his 194 career games,[42] he finished with 13 points, six rebounds and an assist across 22 minutes in a 116–102 loss to the Golden State Warriors.[41][42] Since Markkanen moved to the second unit, he has been given a limited time and has been playing the small forward position.[40][43][44] In a game against the Memphis Grizzlies on 12 April, Markkanen went scoreless for the first time in his career.[45][46][47]
On 28 August 2021, Markkanen was acquired by the Cleveland Cavaliers in a three-team sign-and-trade also involving the Portland Trail Blazers.[48]
On 1 September 2022, Markkanen was traded to the Utah Jazz along with Ochai Agbaji, Collin Sexton, three first round picks, and two pick swaps in exchange for Donovan Mitchell.[49][50]
Markkanen made his international debut with the Finnish U-18 national team at the 2015 FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship.[51] Markkanen averaged 18.2 points per game to lead the FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship in the summer of 2015.[5] He was the top scorer in 2016 FIBA Europe Under-20 Championship tournament with an average of 24.9 points per game and was named to the All-Tournament Team.[52]
Markkanen played with the Finland senior team at EuroBasket 2017, which was partly held in his home country. He led his team to the round of 16 by averaging 19.5 points and 5.7 rebounds over 6 games.[53]
He played his second EuroBasket tournament in 2022. In the Round of 16, Markkanen scored 43 points to lead Finland to a 94–86 win over Croatia, setting a new all-time record for a Finnish player at the EuroBasket.[54] The win also lead to Finland's first quarterfinal appearance in 55 years, the last being in 1967.[54] Finland lost in the following quarterfinals to Spain; Markkanen averaged 27.9 points on 54.2% shooting, and 8 rebounds over seven games.[55]
GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2017–18 | Chicago | 68 | 68 | 29.7 | .434 | .362 | .843 | 7.5 | 1.2 | .6 | .6 | 15.2 |
2018–19 | Chicago | 52 | 51 | 32.3 | .430 | .361 | .872 | 9.0 | 1.4 | .7 | .6 | 18.7 |
2019–20 | Chicago | 50 | 50 | 29.8 | .425 | .344 | .824 | 6.3 | 1.5 | .8 | .5 | 14.7 |
2020–21 | Chicago | 51 | 26 | 25.8 | .480 | .402 | .826 | 5.3 | .9 | .5 | .3 | 13.6 |
2021–22 | Cleveland | 61 | 61 | 30.8 | .445 | .358 | .868 | 5.7 | 1.3 | .7 | .5 | 14.8 |
Career | 282 | 256 | 29.7 | .441 | .364 | .850 | 6.8 | 1.3 | .7 | .5 | 15.4 |
Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2016–17 | Arizona | 37 | 37 | 30.8 | .492 | .423 | .835 | 7.2 | .9 | .4 | .5 | 15.6 |
He is the son of Pekka[5][57] and Riikka Markkanen (née Ellonen), who both were professional basketball players,[57][58] and has two brothers, former professional basketball player Miikka[57] and professional footballer Eero.[57] In February 2018, Markkanen and his wife Verna Aho had a son together.[59] In October 2020, their second child was born.[60]
Markkanen poured in a season-high 31 points on 12-of-18 shooting and 6-of-11 from long distance.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link)On nights Markkanen can score a season-high 31 like he did on Saturday, the Bulls will usually find themselves in a good spot.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link){{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link){{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link)Lately, in a new wrinkle, coach Billy Donovan even has been using Markkanen at small forward.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link)Markkanen went scoreless for the first time in his career and has been largely invisible during this three-game losing streak.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link)Lauri Markkanen's minutes took yet another dip. He logged just 16 against the Grizzlies and is now averaging 21.3 minutes in eight reserve appearances since the deadline. Worse, in those minutes, he hasn't made much an impact of late -- after going scoreless in this one, he's tallied just 13 points on 11 shots in his last three games.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link)In the loss to the Grizzlies on April 12, Markkanen registered zero points, seven rebounds, two assists, no steals, no blocks, and three turnovers.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link)Markkanen made his 100th career 3-pointer in his 41st game, the record for fastest to get to 100 in NBA history.
Utah Jazz roster | |
---|---|
| |