Chicago Bulls: 3 Landing Spots for Lauri Markkanen

Chicago Bulls: Landing Spot for Lauri Markkanen – New Orleans Pelicans

The New Orleans Pelicans are in a similar situation to the Chicago Bulls in regards to their current starting point guard Lonzo Ball. Ball, like Markkanen, will be a restricted free agent this offseason and is still separated by millions in terms of what type of yearly salary the player will be worth in free agency.

Both players appear to be on their way to playing for a new team next season, which may make a swap worth it for both sides. If the Bulls were to make this happen they would inevitably have to add something in the deal as a sweetener. Ball is a more proven commodity at this point and has proven capable of being a more impactful player to his team. So, if the Bulls were to throw in a future second-round pick this may be a move worth pursuing.

This would come with the Bulls making a commitment that Ball is their point guard of the future barring any drastic changes once acquired. It’s not a bad idea, given how well he would fit next to All-Star Zach LaVine in the team’s starting lineup. That would move Coby White to a sixth-man role he has been playing in for the Bulls last few games. It would make a perfect three-headed monster in the Bulls backcourt.

For the Pelicans, they would add a sharpshooting big man to play alongside All-Star caliber front-court players Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram. His shooting ability would offer both players more room to operate inside the arc, where both are nightmare matchups for opponents.

The Pelicans would have a harder time committing long-term to Markkanen, but it may be an experiment that interests them given where they stand right now with Ball. At worst, they hold a future asset in the second round selection sent their way in the trade.