Chicago Bulls: 3 things the team desperately needs this offseason

3. Decipher the frontcourt rotation

There should be a lot of hope for some of the pieces in place in the current Bulls frontcourt rotation. Between the likes of the former Arkansas Razorbacks rookie center Daniel Gafford, second-year former Duke Blue Devils center Wendell Carter Jr., and third-year former Arizona Wildcats power forward Lauri Markkanen, there is still promise in this group.

What the Bulls need to figure out is which pieces to stay to build around and which should be shipped off now. The biggest questions will be surrounding Markkanen, since he is coming off his career-worst regular season in terms of production and overall efficiency. Markkanen registered a career-low box plus/minus rating of -0.8, 14.3 player efficiency rating, and his first year with a turnover rate in the double digits.

A new lead executive voice in the front office might be able to spark change around Markkanen and Carter Jr., but it won’t be easy. Markkanen is not trending in the right direction at the moment, and his health is always up in the air. Meanwhile, Carter Jr. needs to find a proper direction before it’s too late for him.

There is veteran big men available on the free agent and trade market that bring a lot of talent and proven production to the table that the Bulls could go after this offseason. Maybe they could go after someone like former Bulls center Robin Lopez, who was actually a very valuable presence for Markkanen during the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons.