Bulls Rumors: 3 offseason trades with the Spurs for Lauri Markkanen

This coming offseason could be a trying time for the Chicago Bulls‘ new front office regime as they try to find the next direction for this team. First-year executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas and general manager Marc Eversley did make some moves to improve the roster in the last year, but more definitely still needs to be done. Maybe some of the latest Bulls rumors could wind up playing out for this team in the end.

One player that is set to hit the restricted free agent market for the Bulls this offseason is the fourth-year power forward and 24-year-old seven-footer Lauri Markkanen. And with the possibility of a number of suitors going after Lauri this offseason, Karnisovas and the Bulls might have some bargaining power to see where he lands next.

There seemed to be at least a decent possibility that the Bulls bring back Markkanen beyond the summer when the 2020-21 regular season began. But since first-year head coach Billy Donovan and the Bulls moved Markkanen to the bench post-All-Star Break, his game hasn’t looked great. Even prior to the All-Star Break, Markkanen was dealing with an upper-body injury that held him out for nearly a month.

What’s next for Bulls rumors concerning Lauri Markkanen?

A recent rumor that the San Antonio Spurs and legendary head coach Gregg Popovich could be interested in landing Markkanen this offseason could make for an interesting emerging situation. Maybe the Spurs will just be able to get the offer sheet of Markkanen over to their side of the table this offseason.

But maybe there’s a chance for the Bulls to get a sign-and-trade deal done that benefits all parties involved. With that in mind, here’s a look at three potential sign-and-trade deals involving the Bulls, Spurs, and Markkanen come next offseason.