Chicago Bulls: What does a bench role mean for Lauri Markkanen?

The March 29 loss to the Golden State Warriors marks only the second time in his career that power forward Lauri Markkanen started a game on the bench. By the end of it all, the Finnisher played 22 minutes and tallied 13 points on 5-9 shooting, six rebounds, and an assist. It wasn’t the best game for the Chicago Bulls as a whole, and the future fit for Markkanen with this team is now being called into question.

But with this sudden benching coupled with new big men additions in Daniel Theis and Nikola Vucevic, where exactly does Markkanen fit within this new group, and what does this mean for his impeding free agency?

Lauri Markkanen’s results with the Chicago Bulls this season

After an impressive first couple of seasons in Chicago, a combination of injuries, poor coaching, and shooting struggles have really stunted his growth. With new head coach Billy Donovan coming in, it felt like Markkanen was primed for a step up. Considering Donovan had so much success with a similar type of forward in Danilo Gallinari in Oklahoma City, this felt like a given.

While the numbers on the face of things don’t look too different to his career splits (17.2/5.8/0.9 this season vs 16.3/7.4/1.3 for his career), it’s the inconsistencies and little injuries that worry Bulls fans.

In the month of March alone, Lauri has finished 4 games with 10 or fewer points but also hit his season average of 17 points on four separate occasions. During his first few seasons, it was safe to say the Bulls were a poor team, looking to develop talent for the future. Because of this, a lot of the inconsistencies with Markkanen could be overlooked, and he could be played through them in the name of development.

But now that the expectations and focus for this team have shifted dramatically, so to have the priorities. With the fellow young piece, Zach Lavine developing into an All-Star and rookie Patrick Williams playing at an All-Rookie level, Markkanen could find himself falling behind, so much so to the point where the Bulls may not want to keep him around much longer.

What’s next for Lauri Markkanen?

As Markkanen hits his aforementioned free agency this summer, it’s important to keep in mind that he is a restricted free agent, meaning the Bulls can match any offer from any other team. This puts them in the pole position to bring him back. And while he may not have improved as much as Bulls fans first anticipated, Markkanen still brings a lot of value to the table, mainly in the form of his shooting and scoring.

But in terms of his development in Chicago, between his rookie year and now, outside of his immense shooting, there isn’t much that he has improved upon in his time with the Bulls. And while many players have been paid big bucks for their shooting (like a Davis Bertans), is it really worth it for a team like Chicago that has almost hit the salary cap already, without bringing anyone back?

At the end of the day, the decision might come down to fit, and while Markkenan brings valuable skills to the table, the defensive holes between him and Vucevic might be too great to overcome. So in terms of his career in Chicago, it might turn into a bench role or bust for him.