![lauri markkanen](https://uproxx.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/jazz-top.jpg?w=1024&h=436&crop=1)
In early September, the Cleveland Cavaliers paid a king’s ransom to acquire Donovan Mitchell in a blockbuster trade with the Utah Jazz. Things worked out fairly well for Cleveland in 2022-23, earning a top-four seed in the East, but the Jazz received a strong package in return that included Lauri Markkanen. When the deal came together, Markkanen was seen as an intriguing player but, at the same time, he was not viewed as a jewel or even as the centerpiece of a sprawling transaction. Following a breakout campaign this season, though, Markkanen is now the winner of the NBA’s 2022-23 Most Improved Player of the Year award.
The 2022-23 Kia NBA Most Improved Player is… Lauri Markkanen!#KiaMIP#NBAAwards@Kia pic.twitter.com/d41McU0Ras
— NBA (@NBA) April 24, 2023
Markkanen was the centerpiece of a Jazz team that surprised many in the NBA world on the way to 37 victories, and he outlasted New York’s Jalen Brunson and Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to win the award with 69 first place votes.
![MIP Voting](https://uproxx.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Screen-Shot-2023-04-24-at-7.21.12-PM.jpg)
In his three previous campaigns combined, Markkanen averaged 14.4 points and 5.7 rebounds per game and converted only 44.8 percent of his field goal attempts. In 2022-23, the 25-year-old forward erupted for 25.6 points and 8.6 rebounds per game while shooting 49.9 percent from the field, 39.1 percent from three-point range, and 87.5 percent on a career-best 6.0 free throw attempts per contest.
Beyond his individual contributions and improved efficiency, Markkanen was also key to Utah’s success. The Jazz out-scored opponents by 3.8 points per 100 possessions with Markkanen on the floor, and that dipped to a -6.5 net rating when he was off the court this season. The next step for Markkanen will be attempting to follow up this All-Star season with a repeat performance, but he was the betting favorite for the award for a large portion of the season and the voters agreed with that notion.