1) Players least likely to be with Chicago Bulls post-deadline
Lauri Markkanen, Power Forward
As a potential trade chip that would be one of the most highly sought after in the entire league at the deadline if the Bulls officially shopped him, fourth-year former Arizona Wildcats power forward Lauri Markkanen will be a hotly contested discussion this month. Markkanen’s trade status is difficult to decipher at the moment given the lack of clarity that Karnisovas provides into the front office’s strategies.
On one hand, Markkanen is having a career year thus far and has just returned to the starting five healthy and in rhythm. It would seem like at least a bit of poor timing if the Bulls were to dish him out just when he’s getting back in the mix in the final year of his rookie contract. But that also leads into the counter for his potential trade status at the deadline.
Since Markkanen is in the midst of the final year of his rookie contract, the Bulls new front office regime might want to get the most value out of him that they possibly can. If the plan is not to re-sign Markkanen to a larger contract extension off of the restricted free agent market next offseason, then trading him now might be the best move.
So far this season, Markkanen has registered a career-best box plus/minus rating, player efficiency rating, total number of win shares and win shares per 48 minutes, and his true shooting percentage. If he’s able to stay healthy over the long haul, then he’s going to make some team (maybe the Bulls) happy about the investment they made in him.
But Markkanen was never able to stay healthy before, and it’s not a good bet to think he will for the foreseeable future.