Role
Markkanen is still the guy the offense runs through when a possession needs a bucket. Last season was his best as a scorer: 26.7 points a night on 47.7/35.5/89.6 shooting. It came in only 42 games, and that's the only real complaint. At 7-1 with guard-level shooting touch, he pulls opposing bigs out of the paint, and that's what opens the floor for George and Peterson to attack.
With Jaren Jackson Jr. next to him, Lauri no longer has to be the frontcourt's only answer on both ends. That should make his minutes easier.
2026-27 prediction
A full season is the whole story. Give him 65-plus games and the scoring holds in the mid-20s even with more mouths to feed, and the three-point percentage creeps back toward the 39.9% he shot in 2023-24. If the Jazz are in the Play-In mix, he's back in the All-Star conversation.