2. Lauri Markkanen
It hurts my heart to think about Lauri Markkanen playing for a different team, but it’s starting to feel more and more realistic.
When the Bulls acquired Markkanen in a 2017 draft-night trade, they got quite a bit of flack for the move. Markkanen’s ceiling was questionable, to say the least. But then, he exploded during his rookie season, looking like a future star. His sophomore season was pretty good as well. He posted better numbers than he did during his rookie year but struggled to stay healthy.
This last season is where it all tanked for The Finnisher. Once again, he struggled to say healthy, but when he was healthy, he wasn’t that good. There were so many times where he’d disappear on the court for long stretches at a time.
Markkanen will turn 23 years old on May 22, so youth is still on his side. He has plenty of time to grow and develop. If the Bulls decide they don’t want to give him an extension during this upcoming offseason, he’d likely be a player that a lot of teams would like to take a shot at.