Chicago Bulls: Concern about Markkanen’s future in the Windy City?

Chicago Bulls to-be fourth-year power forward Lauri Markkanen will need to have his best season yet in the NBA during the 2020-21 campaign.

The end to the 2019-20 season was less than ideal for the Chicago Bulls, as there were a ton of looming questions marks heading into the pause induced through the novel coronavirus pandemic.The Bulls finished off the 2019-20 regular season, prior to the pause, with a record of 22-43 through their first 65 games. That was good for 11th place in the Eastern Conference standings, which did not get them into the NBA’s 22 team restart in the bubble at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, FL.

Given that the Bulls finished near the bottom of the standings in the East yet again, they decided to reshape the look of the front office from the top-down and part ways with now former head coach Jim Boylen. The Bulls demoted former vice president of basketball operations John Paxson in favor of former Denver Nuggets general manager Arturas Karnisovas and completely let go of former general manager Gar Forman in favor of the ex-Philadelphia 76ers senior VP of player personnel Marc Eversley.

There is still an ongoing coaching search for the Bulls to replace Boylen, although there could be an emerging shortlist that includes the likes of Sixers lead assistant Ime Udoka, former Brooklyn Nets head coach Kenny Atkinson, and Toronto Raptors assistant Adrian Griffin, among others. Any of those three, or a number of other coaching candidates would seem to be an upgrade from Boylen.

One player for the Bulls that is a key piece of this young core that could be improved heading into the fourth year of the rebuild is former Arizona Wildcats power forward and seven footer Lauri Markkanen. According to a report from Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times on Aug. 26, Markkanen wasn’t very happy with the direction of the rebuild prior to all of these front office and coaching staff changes.

Here’s more on what that piece from Cowley of the Sun-Times had to say on the matter of Markkanen.

"Whomever they eventually decide on, player development and communication had better be his strengths. And that communication has to begin with forward Lauri Markkanen.No player needed a change of front office and coach more than Markkanen.Forget the stats last season for the 7-footer. Everyone would like to. The real concern was that Markkanen ended the season privately making it known that he didn’t like the direction of the organization and wanted to be elsewhere if there wasn’t a change."

During the 2019-20 season, Markkanen played in 50 games for the Bulls (starting in all of them). He averaged 14.7 points per game, 6.3 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 0.8 steals, and 0.5 blocks. He shot 42.5 percent from the field, 34.4 percent from beyond the arc, and 82.4 percent from the free-throw line.

Markkanen might’ve been the most disappointing player on the Bulls roster in the season that was, at least compared to the expectations he came into the 2019-20 campaign with. His fourth year in the NBA will also be his last under his rookie contract.