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Lauri Markkanen

Utah Jazz · #23 · Plus starter
PF7'1"240 lbage 299 yrs expArizonaJyvaskyla, Finland
2nd best of 13 on UTAworth +5.4 wins to the rotation
OFF88DEF67
Elite scorer & shooter
UTA
Utah Jazz
Western · Northwest · proj. 25-57 (▲+4.7)
→
All-StarMost Improved Player

Utah's franchise cornerstone and a unicorn-sized scoring forward who poured in 26.7 a night on 60.8% true shooting, stretching the floor at 7-foot with 35.5% from deep and an elite 89.6% at the line. He almost never turns it over (98th percentile ball security) and draws fouls with the best of them, but he's a poor playmaker and a real liability defending in space.

26.7
PPG
6.9
RPG
2.1
APG
1
SPG
0.5
BPG
GP 42MPG 34.4FG% 47.73P% 35.5FT% 89.6TS% 60.8USG% 28.1PER 21.1BPM +2.6VORP 1.6EPM +2.6
2025-26 regular season · bars are percentile at his position

NBA player ratings

0–99 · 2025-26 form
Scoring92
Shooting87
Rebounding81
Inside finishing76
Rim protection72
Playmaking66
Perimeter defense61

Skill ratings are 2025-26 per-game and advanced stats (Basketball-Reference) ranked 0–99 within position (guards vs guards, bigs vs bigs). Overall is anchored to EPM impact on a non-linear curve, nudged by these skills; Offense and Defense come from box plus-minus. A player who missed the latest season is shown from his most recent one.

Career

2017-18 to 2025-26 · 9 seasons
18.9
PPG
7.1
RPG
1.5
APG
492
GAMES
Points 9,323Win Shares 36.7Starts 466Best season 2022-23 · 25.6 ppg
Games played, last three seasons59%

Regular season, 2003-04 onward (Basketball-Reference). Averages are weighted by games played; honours count awards won, not finishes. “Current players” means the 802 who played in the last three seasons.

Trajectory

2023-24 → 2025-26 · age 26 → 28
▼Declining

Lauri, at 28, is trending downward — 6.0 → 4.2 wins of value over the window.

Age curve▼ Behind curve
Developing slower than his age would suggest.
2026-27 forecast▲ 6.5 wins (+2.3)
Starts from his player rating, which is higher than last season's total. Age takes about 0.1 wins off at 29. Range 4.1–8.9 wins.
Production (BPM)+3.6 → +2.6-1.026-27 forecast +1.9
His production has held roughly steady.
2023-24: +3.6 · 55 games2024-25: -0.3 · 47 games2025-26: +2.6 · 42 games2026-27: +1.9 (forecast)23-2425-2626-27
Value to team (wins)6.0 → 4.2-1.926-27 forecast 6.5
His win contribution is trending down.
2023-24: 6.0 · 55 games2024-25: 2.5 · 47 games2025-26: 4.2 · 42 games2026-27: 6.5 (forecast)23-2425-2626-27
Contract value2026-27: worth $33.4M vs $46.1M salary−$12.7M
He is paid more than his play is projected to be worth.
$46.1M salary2023-24: $27.5M · 55 games2024-25: $5.4M · 47 games2025-26: $11.0M · 42 games2026-27: $33.4M (forecast)23-2425-2626-27
Current deal: $46,113,154 cap hit · through '29. On the contract row the flat dashed line is this salary, so the gap to the 2026-27 forecast is the surplus.

Seasons from Basketball-Reference (2023-24 → 2025-26). Production is box plus-minus, a per-possession measure. Value is VORP-based wins, so it also counts games played. Contract value is what each season’s play would fetch on the open market. The dotted 2026-27 point is a forecast: his established level, a year older, assuming a normal season.

Contract

2026-27
$46,113,154Guaranteed
26% of the club’s payroll · 2nd of 13 priced deals
Runs through3 seasons
Est. market value$33,374,000 /yr
Surplus−$12,739,154
ABOVE VALUEpaid above his on-court value

Market value is an estimate, not a reported figure: what his play is forecast to fetch on the open market in 2026-27 — his current rating, a year older. Cap thresholds are projected for 2026-27 until the league sets them.

Plays like

same position

Nearest skill profiles across the seven rating axes — who he plays like, not who is as good. The rating beside each name answers that second question.