NBA: 4 players who are in need of a new home this offseason
Lauri Markkanen
Another young player who’s exhibited frustrations with his current situation is Lauri Markkanen of the Chicago Bulls. This is a team who’s been stacking up young talent year after year, rebounding quite well from the Derrick Rose–Jimmy Butler era.
But it has yet to translate to overall success. Their team is filled to the brim with promise, but none of it is making its way on to the court. Markkanen took the league by storm his freshman season, posting averages of 15.2 points and 7.5 rebounds over 68 appearances.
Injuries have derailed his progress since, however, as he played just 52 games last season and only appeared in 50 out 65 possible games this year.
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There’s bound to be a market for 22-year-old forward, whose agent made it sound like his time with Chicago was all but over just before the trade deadline:
"If everything stands like it is right now, I'm telling you, Lauri Markkanen doesn't want to stay here, doesn't want to play here, doesn't want to play with this structure that he has right now ... When he can go, he's going to go."
— 670 The Score (@670TheScore) February 6, 2020
-- @suntimes_hoops https://t.co/lgAbBSi1zJ pic.twitter.com/Fkq5lT8in5
Markkanen is under contract through next season, but will no doubt enter restricted free agency in the following summer if Chicago doesn’t sell high before. He was drawing Nikola Mirotic and Ryan Anderson comparisons ahead of the 2017 NBA Draft, and has shown promise as a stretch four.
Plenty of teams would likely take interest in Markkanen if made available. Some teams that make sense are the New York Knicks, Charlotte Hornets, or San Antonio Spurs.
No matter which you way shake this crystal ball it appears Markkanen’s future, even if traded out of Chicago, likely lies with a rebuilding team. Still, the Bulls would be wise to sell high on a promising youth if he ultimately will walk to sign on with another club.