NBA Power Rankings: Tiering all 30 projected starting small forwards for 2023-24

11. Lauri Markkanen, Utah Jazz

Coming out of college a few years ago, Lauri Markkanen was an interesting talent. At 7-foot tall, he could stretch the floor and was considered an elite offensive talent. However, through the first few years of his career, he was somewhat underwhelming as a prospect. With the Utah Jazz this past season that all changed.

Markkanen was named to his first NBA All-Star team this past season and took home Most Improved Player of the Year honors. As somewhat of a late bloomer, it’s clear that at 26 years old Markkanen is a budding star in the NBA. If he wasn’t playing for Utah, he’d probably be a bigger name around the league.

But, for one reason or another, it took the Jazz to help Markkanen put it all together. The Jazz was the exact situation that Markkanen needed to turn things around in his career. The big question is, where would Markkanen be right now in his career if he was never traded to the Jazz?