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Lauri Markkanen

After an up-and-down four years in Chicago to start his career, Markkanen was deemed a bust and shipped off to Cleveland where he spent 2021-22.  Signing as a free agent with Utah for this season, Markkanen has been one of the more pleasant surprises in the NBA.  On the offensive side Markkanen is averaging career highs in points and assists, but it is on the defensive end where he has made extraordinary progress and is developing into a game-changing lane protector.

Markkanen is a 7-footer who possesses the skills that modern NBA coaches and executives crave.  If he can maintain his defensive intensity and field goal percentage, Markkanen will play in the NBA for a long time.  

Markkanen has had a couple of 40+ point outbursts this season, which have bumped up his card prices.  However, his 2017-18 Donruss Optic cards are still relatively affordable.  His Optic rookie is $15 in PSA 9 and $45 in PSA 10.

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