Former Arizona forward Lauri Markkanen was named the NBA's Most Improved Player on Monday after putting together an all-star season for the Utah Jazz.
Markkanen, who was traded from Cleveland to Utah last September, increased his 2021-22 scoring average by over 10 points to 25.6 per game this season while also averaging 8.6 rebounds and shooting 49.9% from the field.
During the season, Markkanen not only became the first Finnish player to play in an NBA all-star game, but also started the game at his home arena in Salt Lake City.
Markkanen won the Most Improved award easily. In voting totals released by the NBA, Markkanen received 69 of 100 first place votes and 430 total points, while second-place Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of Oklahoma City received 24 first-place votes and 289 overall points. The Knicks' Jalen Brunson was third with four first-place votes and 91 points.
After Markkanen made the Pac-12's all-freshman team during his one season at Arizona in 2016-17, the Chicago Bulls made him the No. 7 pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. Markkanen then spent four seasons in Chicago and last season in Cleveland before the Jazz picked him up in a trade for Donovan Mitchell.
Markkanen is spending the off-season inΒ mandatory service to the Finnish military.
