Chicago Bulls: 5 offseason roster moves they need to make
Chicago Bulls offseason roster move No. 4: Try for a Lauri Markkanen sign and trade
After a really promising start to his NBA career, Lauri Markkanen has been a little disappointing during his third and fourth seasons. He has seen his minutes decline and this has resulted in the rest of his raw numbers declining.
On the plus side, Markkanen is a 7’0″ player who can shoot the long ball at a good clip. Last season he made 40.2 percent of his 5.8 shot attempts per game. He is not too much of a presence inside the paint, and his rim protection as a seven-footer is abysmal, only blocking 0.5 shots per game for his career.
However, teams that are looking for a stretch-four who can take pressure off the paint will be very keen to sign Markkanen. The player from Finland is a restricted free agent so the Bulls have the option of matching any offer given to Markkanen should they choose.
What would be tremendous for the Bulls, as they are probably going to have to overpay to keep Markkanen would be for them to get a sign and trade to get something back for the four-year man. He would need to agree to the trade but if it meant he was able to earn more and get more playing time, it is difficult to see him say no.