Connect with us

Utah

Jazz Have ‘No Motivation’ to Trade Lauri Markkanen per Insider

Published

on

Jazz Have ‘No Motivation’ to Trade Lauri Markkanen per Insider


Hold the phone on the rumors of the Utah Jazz trading Lauri Markkanen. According to Jazz beat writer Tony Jones of The Athletic, there’s no motivation to trade Markkanen, but Utah does have a thresh hold that would need to be met if a trade were to come to fruition. Jones shared his insight when he joined 95.7 The Game.

“It’s different than Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert. The Jazz had motivation for different reasons for both of those guys to trade – both of those guys. There’s no motivation to trade Lauri Markkanen. He’s a star-level player that’s happy in Utah, and you know, the Jazz can grow with the young guys on their roster. If they’re going to trade Lauri, there’s a thresh hold that has to be met, and only they can answer that question.”

Markkanen has been the talk of the NBA this week. The dominoes have fallen on the big-name free agents and All-Star caliber players rumored to be traded this offseason. With Markkanen being the last one standing, the rumors have been coming in rapidly.

If you believe the oddsmakers, Markkanen has an equal chance of suiting up for the Golden State Warriors as the Jazz. DraftKings has both teams listed at +250 to retain his services. In contrast, the San Antonio Spurs, Miami Heat, Sacramento Kings, and Oklahoma City Thunder have a puncher’s chance of pulling off a deal, per DraftKings.

The Jazz are certainly stuck between a rock and a hard place with Markkanen. Luring free agents to Salt Lake City can be difficult, and being on the verge of signing Markkanen to an extension while he is in his prime feels like a no-brainer. However, the 2025 draft class is projected to be stacked, and by keeping Markkanen, the Jazz could be missing out on a top-five selection.

From this point of view, the Jazz could have their cake and eat it, too. Even with Markkanen, the Jazz could bottom out in an effort to draft in the top-5. Utah is on pace to have six rostered players that have been drafted in the last two years. All it would take is trading the likes of Collin Sexton, Jordan Clarkson, John Collins, or Walker Kessler. If we’re being honest, a combination of any two of these players should do the trick.

This assumes that Utah isn’t blown away with an offer it can’t refuse. As Jones said, we don’t know exactly what is being offered, but we have to assume that for Ainge to pull the trigger, the Jazz would have to get more than the haul the Brooklyn Nets received from the New York Knicks in the Mikal Bridges trade.  The Nets received:

Advertisement

Hopefully, Jazz fans can resolve the matter sooner rather than later, but until then, expect the rumors to keep coming.

Follow Inside The Jazz on Facebook and Twitter/X, and subscribe to YouTube for breaking Jazz news videos and live streams!





Source link

Utah

Penalties to be enforced if Trump’s face covered on national park passes, reports say

Published

on

Penalties to be enforced if Trump’s face covered on national park passes, reports say


SALT LAKE CITY — Those using a new national park pass who want to enjoy Utah’s “Mighty Five” better do so with President Donald Trump’s face perfectly intact, or you might pay a literal price.

The new annual park passes, which debuted on Jan. 1, feature Trump’s image alongside that of George Washington. At the same time as the release, the Department of the Interior reportedly updated its rules to ensure Trump’s face remains free and clear.

According to the Washington Post, the updated “Void if Altered” policy prohibits anyone from defacing the pass or covering up any images or information on the cards. Visitors found by rangers to have altered a pass by any means will be ordered to return it to its original condition or possibly be charged a regular entrance fee.

SFGate reported the policy originally prohibited any alteration of the signature portion of the pass, with the updated policy including the front of the card, with a warning that “writing on it or adding stickers or other coverings” is no longer allowed.

Advertisement

Anti-DEI mandates at national parks include Zion gift shop:

‘History deserves honesty,’ anti-DEI mandates at national parks include Zion gift shop

Many believe the updated policy is in direct response to the large pushback over the inclusion of Trump, leaving people to share creative ways to hide the president’s image from passes, including stickers and sleeves.

Advertisement

Along with the suggestions on how to hide Trump’s image, a nonprofit environmental group has filed a lawsuit claiming its design did not comply with legislation that requires public participation in the selection.





Source link

Continue Reading

Utah

Two killed, six wounded in shooting outside Mormon church in Utah

Published

on

Two killed, six wounded in shooting outside Mormon church in Utah


Two people were killed, and at least six were wounded when gunfire erupted outside a funeral at a Mormon church in Utah on Wednesday night, according to authorities and reports.

Eight people were hit by gunfire when shots rang out outside The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Redwood Road in Salt Lake City around 7:30 p.m., Salt Lake City Police Department spokesperson Glen Mills told the Salt Lake City Tribune.

Two people were killed, and six people were injured in the shooting that occurred outside in the church’s parking lot as dozens were attending a funeral service inside.

Of the six wounded, three individuals are in critical condition, the Salt Lake City Police Department posted on X. All of the victims were adults.

Advertisement
Police stand outside the Salt Lake City church where at least eight people were shot, including two fatally on Jan. 7, 2026. AP
People hug outside the church after the shooting in Salt Lake City, Utah. AP

There were no suspects in custody as of late Wednesday night, and it is not immediately clear if there were multiple gunmen involved. A motive was also unknown.

However, police said they have obtained solid leads in the investigation and are working to locate individuals involved in the shooting.

“We believe this was not a random incident,” Salt Lake City Police Chief Brian Redd told reporters. 

The shooting was not believed to be targeting a religion, Redd clarified. 

Roughly 100 law enforcement vehicles swarmed the area in the aftermath of the gunfire as helicopters flew overhead. 

Advertisement

The area around the Mormon church remained closed into the evening as authorities urged the public to stay clear of the still active scene.

Funeral attendees walk out of the meetinghouse of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Jan. 7, 2026. AP

“This should never have happened outside a place of worship. This should never have happened outside a celebration of life,” said Mayor Erin Mendenhall.

The Salt Lake City Police Department did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment.

The incident remains under investigation.

With Post wires.

Advertisement



Source link

Continue Reading

Utah

Kevin Love Admits He Didn’t See Jazz Trade Coming

Published

on

Kevin Love Admits He Didn’t See Jazz Trade Coming


The Utah Jazz’s experiment to bring in 18-year league veteran Kevin Love thus far into the 2025-26 campaign has been a pretty solid success in the first two-plus months of the season.

Advertisement

Love has been a positive voice in the locker room as the most tenured NBA veteran on the roster, he’s been vocal about enjoying his time and role with the organization, and for his time on the floor throughout the first 30 or so games of the regular season, he’s nestled into a consistent rotational player as the Jazz’s backup center as Walker Kessler has been out with a shoulder injury.

Advertisement

But when he first arrived in Utah via a three-team trade from the Miami Heat, packed within the deal that sent John Collins to the LA Clippers, Love didn’t quite know what to expect out of his experience; he didn’t even anticipate being traded to the Jazz in the first place.

“I didn’t know what to expect when I got here, but I’ve been very pleasantly surprised from everything, from ownership, and Ryan Smith to the front office to the coaching staff, players all the way through,” Love said of the Jazz on The Old Man and the Three. “It’s been a blessing in my 18th year to be a part of this team and some place, I mean, you never know where you’re going to end up.”

“I did not expect to be traded but as far as a landing spot goes and just saying, yeah, so many people are saying ‘Oh what if it doesn’t work out? What if it doesn’t work out?’ I’m like ‘What if it does?’, right?And I think just adding value whether I’m playing or not is something that’s given me a lot of happiness and a lot of joy this late in my career. And I think that has allowed me to see a lot of the good and what this team has been able to bring and move forward.”

Kevin Love Settling in Nicely With Utah Jazz

Advertisement

Love’s value stretches both on and off the floor for the Jazz, which makes sense for why the veteran big man has been loving his time since being on the roster. The 2016 NBA champion was vocal before the season about his desire to be a value add for wherever that may be, including Utah, and he’s been able to carve out just the right role for himself at this point in his career. 

During his 20 games played for the Jazz this season, Love has averaged 7.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, and shooting 41.1% from the field in just over 17 minutes a night when he plays, and has proven he can still be a guy worthy of a few minutes down the rotation to fill out an NBA frontcourt, as he has for the year in Utah so far.

Advertisement

Dec 15, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Caleb Martin (left) speaks with Utah Jazz forward Kevin Love (right) before the game at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

Advertisement

It remains to be seen just how long Love’s time in Utah will last. There’s not even a guarantee that the 37-year-old will finish the regular season on the roster, depending on how the next few weeks transpire around the trade deadline and as the buyout market begins to gain some traction. But, for the time that he is in Salt Lake City, he’s made it into a nice home for what’s now the fourth roster he’s been on through nearly two decades in the league.

Be sure to bookmark Utah Jazz On SI and follow @JazzOnSI on X to stay up-to-date on daily Utah Jazz news, interviews, breakdowns and more!



Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Trending