The Verdict
There is no doubt that putting the onus of deciding what to do with Markkanen in the next calendar year on Karnisovas’ shoulders is going to be a pressure-filled process. Markkanen still has a lot of promise to his game, and started trending in the right direction in the last few weeks before the pelvic injury news dropped.
Yet, he is still posting career lows in field goal percentage, points per game, and a number of all-encompassing advanced metrics. Those are signs that the new-look Bulls front office regime can’t ignore when it comes down to the contract extension decision that could happen this offseason.
The cap could be getting lowered in the near future too given the revenue hit that all professional sports leagues around the world are taking in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. There is a very high likelihood that the Bulls could use the money they would spend on a Markkanen extension elsewhere this offseason and next.
The move that seems like it would make the most sense is seeing if the urgency of sitting around in the final year of his rookie contract works as motivation for Markkanen during the 2020-21 campaign. Don’t prematurely give him a contract extension, but see where it goes up until the weeks leading up to the 2021 trade deadline. If he’s at least having a more successful season next year, his trade value should remain high and the Bulls will have more leverage in determining what to do with him next.
About the only way we should see Markkanen get a contract extension this offseason is if he’s willing to take a very team friendly extension that doesn’t cost much.