Who won’t be back next season No. 1: Lauri Markkanen
The intentions that Karnisovas and the Bulls had in bringing back the fourth-year power forward Lauri Markkanen for next season looked to be mixed since the beginning of the regular season. The 23-year-old seven-footer and former Arizona Wildcat had a solid start to the season, but his production declining of late has caused a lot of skepticism among the fans and media as to whether there’s even a chance that he’ll return to the Windy City next season.
Markkanen didn’t get handed a contract extension when he was eligible for one last offseason. And if there were solidified long-term plans for the Bulls to bring back Markkanen beyond this season (he’s currently in the midst of the final year of his rookie contract), then they likely would’ve already re-signed him.
Considering that Markkanen’s numbers are dipping to about where his career averages lie, the value he’s bringing to the table isn’t as great as it was at the outset of this season. He’s now averaging 17.2 points per game, 5.8 rebounds, 0.9 assists, 0.5 steals, and 0.4 blocks. And Markkanen shot 48.1 percent from the field, 39.1 percent from beyond the arc, and 83.9 percent from the free-throw line.
In the Bulls’ loss to the Warriors on the road on March 29, Markkanen was moved to a bench role for the first time this season, and only the second time in his career to date. Something similar happened to WCJ before the Bulls dealt him off to the Magic at the trade deadline, thus the future for Markkanen in the Windy City doesn’t look too bright at the moment.