Josh Green and Lauri Markannen never crossed paths at Arizona in their respective one-and-done seasons, but now the former Wildcats will be NBA teammates.
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, Green was traded on Friday night from the Minnesota Timberwolves to the Utah Jazz. Green and cash went to Utah in exchange for John Konchar and Cody Williams.
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It’s the second time this offseason that Green has been dealt. In June he was part of the trade that sent point guard LaMelo Ball to Minnesota from the Charlotte Hornets, where Green had spent the previous two seasons following four years with the Dallas Mavericks.
Green, a 6-foot-6 guard who turns 26 in November, is entering the final year of a 3-year, $41 million contract and is set to earn $14.7 million for the 2026-27 season. He joins a Utah team that had one of the worst records in the NBA last season, despite and drafted Kansas point guard Darryn Peterson with the No. 2 overall pick in June.
The Jazz have missed the playoffs five years in a row, the last four with Markkanen as their leading scorer. The ex-Wildcats averaged 26.7 points per game in 2025-26 and is set to make $46.1 million this season.
Green, who has averaged 6.3 points and 2.5 rebounds in 349 NBA games, was the 18th overall pick by Dallas in the 2020 NBA Draft after one season at Arizona. With the UA he averaged 12 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.6 assists.
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