The Chicago Bulls are staying active in trade talks in the lead-up to today’s NBA trade deadline. Arturas Karnisovas is seemingly exploring any and every option for his team moving forward as he looks to get the Bulls back on the right track. Since the All-Star break, Chicago is just 3-6 and their issues are being exposed on a near-nightly basis.
The big-name being thrown around in regards to the Bulls is forward Lauri Markkanen. The sharpshooting big man will hit restricted free agency this offseason and a breakup has seemed likely since he failed to reach an agreement on an extension with the organization entering this season.
Unfortunately for the Bulls, his value is limited by the fact that he could be getting a big raise in free agency. It also won’t help in negotiations that the Bulls have little leverage and teams know they’ll be looking to get whatever they can in return for their big man before his inevitable departure.
Still, the Bulls can find a suitor that desires the right to match any deal in free agency after getting a test run with him on the court. That’s partially why the market shouldn’t drop too much. The other reason is that he is a shooting specialist, which is always desired in today’s NBA.
The Bulls aren’t going to be getting the same value they could have once gotten for Markkanen but that doesn’t mean he can’t net them a nice return. These players make a lot of sense as players the Bulls should target in a deal that sees them move their second-leading scorer.
Assuming these teams have interest, these are players that jump out to target in a potential trade. They may not be the first player fans think of but they make sense and should be considered if a trade is being discussed with their team.
Chicago Bulls target in a Lauri Markkanen trade: R.J. Hampton, Denver Nuggets
Rookie guard R.J. Hampton of the Denver Nuggets may be a bit of a stretch here but is worth targeting for the Bulls. Not every target is going to be acquired and shooting for extremely high upside in a deal for Markkanen is certainly the right way if a deal can be struck.
The Nuggets are rumored to be in the market for a forward and that could lead them to interest in Markkanen ahead of the deadline. If that is the case, the Bulls should start those talks centered around the 20-year-old guard that has a ton of promise.
He doesn’t exactly fit with the current group as of today and wouldn’t be guaranteed a large role if the Bulls chase a playoff spot but this move would be all about the long-term potential. If the Bulls aren’t going to bottom out and get a high lottery pick in the coming seasons this is exactly the kind of move that could get them a stud down the road.
The Nuggets may call regarding Markkanen and Hampton would be a great way to at least start any negotiations.