Dub Hub: Lauri Markkanen officially signs five-year extension with Jazz

Rounding up all Warriors and NBA related news for Wednesday, August 7th.

In today’s Dub Hub:

• The Warriors trade pursuit of Lauri Markkanen officially ends after he signed a five-year, $238 million extension with the Jazz on Wednesday, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
• Steph Curry scores seven points as Team USA defeats Brazil in the quarterfinals, 122-87.
• TNT analyst and Basketball Hall of Famer Charles Barkley says he will not retire and will remain with the company long-term.

The Golden State Warriors’ hopes of trading for All-Star Lauri Markkanen came to an anti-climactic end on Wednesday morning as he officially agreed to a five-year, $238 million extension with the Utah Jazz, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

This extension makes Markkanen ineligible for any trades for the next six months, specifically until February 7, 2025. Given that next season’s trade deadline is on February 6, Markkanen will effectively be off the market until the next offseason.

In a recent article from ESPN, he expressed relief over the extension as it provides him with peace of mind knowing that he will remain in Utah for at least one more season.

Via ESPN:

“It’s a weight off my shoulders and I can focus only one the main thing now: playing basketball at a high level,” Markkanen told ESPN. “I don’t stress about it, but you can’t pretend you don’t hear that stuff. It’s a good feeling knowing that I’m going to be in Utah.”

Having said that, this latest development is a significant blow for the Warriors. They still haven’t addressed their dire need for a reliable secondary scorer to support Steph Curry, and with reportedly no interest in pursuing high-profile options like Brandon Ingram or Zach LaVine, the Warriors seem set on sticking with their current roster.

Despite an offseason full of solid depth moves, the team’s inability to fix their most pressing need could be a problem as they head into the upcoming season.

For more on this and other news around the NBA, here is our latest news round-up for Wednesday, August 7th:

Warriors News:

Lauri Markkanen, Jazz expected to reach long-term contract extension: Sources | The Athletic

The Jazz held Markkanen trade conversations with several serious suitors over the last month, including the San Antonio Spurs, Sacramento Kings and Golden State Warriors. The Warriors made the most aggressive offer, centered around Moses Moody, multiple first-round picks, pick swaps and second-rounders, team sources from both sides said. Utah wanted Brandin Podziemski in any theoretical deal. The Warriors were protective of Podziemski in the Markkanen conversation and a few other leaguewide trade proposals this summer, league sources said.

Talks between the Warriors and Jazz were most alive in early July but became sporadic in recent weeks, league sources said. In the last several days, the Warriors have been resigned that a Markkanen long-term extension in Utah is a foregone conclusion, team sources said. No team met the Jazz’s enormous value for their centerpiece forward, and rival executives understood the only way Utah would consider a proposal was if it was overwhelming.

Stephen Curry, LeBron James and the ‘too small’ action that unlocks Team USA’s offense | The Athletic

“I’m a good screener and can cause some confusion for a guy like (LeBron) having the ball,” Curry said, before the Americans’ practice in preparation for an Olympic quarterfinal against Brazil Tuesday. “We do it a little bit in Golden State where you have somebody else having the ball and me setting it, and I have a lot of different actions you can run, but if you get (LeBron) going downhill, good luck to anybody trying to stop him and having me come off into space.

“Just try to make teams make decisions and the more decisions you can make a defense make the better chance you have to create confusion,” Curry continued.

Steph Curry makes little noise, but U.S. men roar into Olympic semifinals | San Francisco Chronicle

“A lot of my job on this team is to create attention and open up shots for other guys,” Curry said. “I’m not getting a lot of them. So as long as I keep cutting hard, and playing off the ball, we have so many great passers, great finishers, great shooters, somebody is going to get a good look.”

Why ex-Warrior Livingston is Klay’s truest spirit brother | NBC Sports Bay Area

Livingston, having retired and moved into an executive role with the Warriors, was a very interested observer.

“We all wanted Klay Thompson to be the person that he was before he went down with that injury,” Livingston said on NBC Sports Bay Area’s “Dubs Talk” podcast. “But biology doesn’t always work that way.”

Warriors not interested in Brandon Ingram and Zach Lavine, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania

NBA News:

Charles Barkley not retiring, staying with TNT Sports long term: ‘This is the only place for me’ | The Athletic

Barkley will continue on his 10-year, $210 million contract. He is in the third season of the deal.

“I love my TNT Sports family,” Barkley, 61, said in a statement. “My #1 priority has been and always will be our people and keeping everyone together for as long as possible.”

“We have the most amazing people, and they are the best at what they do,” his statement continued. “I’m looking forward to continuing to work with them both on the shows we currently have and new ones we develop together in the future. This is the only place for me.”

Rudy Gobert has finger injury; coach calls benching matchup related | ESPN

Rudy Gobert is dealing with an undisclosed injury to his left ring finger, but that wasn’t the only reason the star center came off the bench in Tuesday’s win over Canada at the Paris Olympics, with both Gobert and French coach Vincent Collet citing “matchups.”

France changed its starting lineup before the 82-73 win to reach the men’s basketball semifinal, bringing Gobert off the bench and starting Victor Wembanyama at center.

Gobert told reporters after the game that there were “several reasons why I didn’t play,” including the injury and the matchup with Canada.

Kevin Durant becomes the all-time leading scorer in USA Olympic Basketball history

In case you missed it at Golden State of Mind:

Team USA cruises to semifinal with 122-87 demolition of Brazil

Steve Kerr and Steph Curry are fond of young Golden State Warriors forward Gui Santos, but they showed no mercy facing his Brazilian squad in the Olympic basketball quarterfinals. Curry and Santos each scored 7 points, but Team USA won over the Brazilians in a 122-87 blowout Tuesday in Paris.

Follow @unstoppablebaby on Twitter for all the latest news on the Golden State Warriors.