Chicago Bulls: 3 Reasons Lauri Markkanen will not be returning next year

Reason No. 3 the Chicago Bulls won’t be retaining Lauri Markkanen: The Financial Investment

The Bulls have a few big financial investments going into next season in the form of Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic. Daniel Theis should be a player the team aggressively pursues a new contract with as well.

Still, they have quite a bit of cap flexibility if they see the opportunity to spend smartly in free agency. In that sense, a Markkanen extension could be an option. Just because it is technically possible does not mean it is the right thing to do from a money standpoint.

The current Bulls roster has some glaring holes and weaknesses that must be addressed in the upcoming offseason if they plan on convincing Zach LaVine to sign an extension before exploring other options when his eventual free agency rolls around.

The money the Bulls do have and can create by unloading contracts will be prioritized going towards addressing the needs the team has at point guard specifically and on defense in general. Markkanen is obviously not a point guard and certainly is not a player you expect much of anything from defensively.

Rumors have already leaked on teams that are expected to have interest in Markkanen on the free-agent market. That alone shows he will demand significant financial investment.

By signing him to a new deal this offseason or matching any contract he signs with another team, the Bulls would be making a major mistake on two fronts. First, they’d be limiting the talent they can add to make them a better team next season. We all know they need better results than they have gotten this season.

The second reason is how it would limit their spending options in the coming years. The Bulls are not going to contend for a championship next season barring something stunning taking place. That is why every move must be made with more than just the short-term implications being considered.

If they tie up too much cap space in the guys they have and those guys are not going to bring them to the status of NBA contender, how will they get there? With the offers Markkanen will be able to find on the open market this offseason, there is no way the Bulls would benefit from bringing him back on the same deal.