Unless something ridiculous happens, the Portland Trail Blazers roster is set for the 2025-26 season. While it’s not a championship contender, the group isn’t lacking for young, unrealized talent, which should make the campaign interesting at the very least.

But what if General Manager Joe Cronin decided he wanted to make a splashy move on a long, rangy, sweet-shooting All-Star who fills a position of need?

I point to the Utah Jazz’s Lauri Markkanen. Last week The Ringer’s Zach Lowe and Rob Mahoney suggested the Blazers as a team that might fit for the 28-year-old Finnish power forward.

Let’s talk it out.

Lauri Markkanen

Markkanen took a while to bloom after being taken by the Chicago Bulls with the seventh pick in 2017. The Blazers were actually involved in the deal that moved him to

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