Lauri Markkanen has cooled a little bit since his historic start, but he is still playing at an All-Star level for the Utah Jazz this season. However, his playing at this pace could be troublesome for the Jazz, as everyone knows that if their first-round pick falls out of the top eight, it goes to Oklahoma City. That's why it would make sense if the Jazz keep him out with "injuries" going forward.
Markkanen has been absent for the last two Jazz games, both of which were hard-fought losses. The Deseret News' Sarah Todd more or less confirmed that his so-called injury were more or less a ploy by the Jazz to avoid the worst-case scenario during her appearance on "The Athletic NBA Daily.