'I love being here': Jazz's Lauri Markkanen has embraced life in Utah – both on and off the court

SALT LAKE CITY — On a September day, Lauri Markkanen was doing what he often does: playing disc golf.

Markkanen is an avid critic and is even friends with six-time world champion Paul McBeth. It's not surprising to see him on the course.

However, on this September day, it attracted some attention. Markkanen was paired with another solo player who posted about his experience on Reddit.

“I'm not actually interested in sports, I didn't know who he was until we started chatting. It was Lauri Markkanen. He is incredibly humble and down to earth, and he absolutely kills it on the disc golf course,” the poster read.

He said the two played a full 18 holes together and he was “impressed in retrospect” after he went home and looked up his name.

“I really don’t think he knew who I was,” Markkanen said of the encounter. “So that was a pretty funny moment. We had a great time. We probably spent an hour and a half together just talking about life and that was pretty cool. Greet him.”

That's Lauri Markkanen, the humble Jazz star who begins his third year with the franchise in Wednesday's season opener against Memphis.

He befriends a stranger at a disc golf course and berates the media for not asking enough about Harry Potter. He keeps his favorite fly fishing spots secret and turned down the chance to appear in a Netflix documentary to keep his family life private.

Oh, and he can dominate an NBA game.

That all sounds pretty, well, Utahn (except that he might dominate the NBA part of the game).

But it was also difficult for the private Markkanen to escape the constant rumors this summer. Golden State was particularly interested and devised a plan to pair him with Paul George to keep Steph Curry's title window open. But the Warriors weren't alone in their interest in Markkanen.

The idea was simple: Markkanen was an All-Star player on a Utah team at the start of the rebuild. He had to be available, right?

On August 7, Markkanen signed a long-term contract with the Jazz, ensuring that he would remain in Utah for at least another full season. By signing at that point, he ensured that the Jazz couldn't move him until after the trade deadline. The timing was no coincidence. He wanted a break from the rumor mill and he really likes being in Utah.

“I am an outdoor person. I love being here,” he said. “Everything is close together and my family loves it here. I know what people say in the NBA, that there's nothing to do or whatever, but that's not true at all. I could spend the whole summer here if I had to and have no problem with that. … I love it.

Markkanen spent the summer actively avoiding any news or rumors. He figured nothing would be resolved by August anyway, so he would try to stay away from social media and instead go to the gym, the river or the disc golf course and just spend time with his family.

“It wasn't really that stressful, but I'm glad it was done relatively quickly,” he said.

Even though Markkanen has a new deal, there are questions about where he stands on the Jazz's timeline. Utah has seven players who are 23 or younger, and the organization has made it clear that development is a top priority this season.

That's good for the future, yes, but Markkanen is ready to win now.

He turned 27 this offseason and has never made the playoffs; This is something he wants to experience. However, the best thing for the Jazz would be for their young players to continue to develop and finish the season with a chance at first place. This puts Markkanen in a strange position, but he's confident everything will work out.

“I trust these guys,” he said of Utah’s front office. “We have good people in this building who have proven they can do their jobs. So I’m worried about myself and my teammates and just getting better.”

With that in mind, the Jazz see Markkanen as someone who can help push the young players forward. When defenses step up to stop Markkanen, it gives everyone else more room to maneuver. Markkanen makes life easier for everyone on the pitch.

His desire to stay in Utah, even if other options were on the table, wasn't lost on the organization either.

“If the best player on the team wants to be here, he wants to be at Utah, he believes in what we're doing… that's important to us because it also supports the functioning of our ecosystem,” Jazz coach Will Hardy said. “When we take the floor, there’s no question who the best player on the team is, and that brings responsibility.”

“Lauri is fully capable and willing. But his signing this summer was great for our team, for the psyche of the team and the group, so to speak. But I think more than anything it shows that Lauri is committed to the Jazz. “He's committed to Utah and really believes in what we're doing.

Markkanen has seen his career blossom in Utah. He's gone from a somewhat disappointing lottery pick to a player who could potentially make an All-NBA team. He still believes there is still room for growth. He wants to finish games at a high level and truly become the elite No. 1 option in the league.

“I think he’s ready for it,” Jordan Clarkson said. “We have had discussions and spoken to him several times. … I think everyone is pushing him to do it.”

What makes Clarkson so confident in Markkanen? The veteran swingman paused before answering.

“I don't want to swear, but that (he definitely cursed) was in the military!” Clarkson said. “That’s an honest answer. He is ready for anything. Lauri is ready for anything that is thrown at him. And I think he's ready for it. … This new Lauri is just, yeah, I love him.”

And Markkanen loves being in Utah. Whether on the course… or meeting new friends on a disc golf course… or unwinding while fishing in the river.

“Just being in nature is a big thing for me,” he said. It's kind of – I don't know if humble is the right word, but I can't think of a better one at the moment – just being in nature and not having to worry about anything else. You just focus on getting something to eat.