Forward Lauri Markkanen of the Chicago Bulls has had an up-and-down start to his NBA career. After being selected seventh overall in the 2017 NBA Draft, Markkanen has flashed his impressive skillset at times while also disappearing for stretches.
The upside that caused him to be selected in the lottery sometimes pops out when you’re watching the Bulls play. Other times, you can watch an entire Bulls game and barely even notice he is on the court.
At this point, it is inevitable the sharpshooting big man will be playing for a new organization when the 2021-22 NBA season rolls around. All signs pointed to that result when the team and Markkanen failed to reach an extension earlier this season.
Since then, additional evidence has surfaced that supports the idea that the relationship will be ending this offseason. It’s not a knock on the player or the current leadership within the organization.
Instead, it appears to be a case of best for both parties moving forward. Markkanen still has significant value in the league and has incredible upside given his skillset. Sometimes a pairing just doesn’t work out. The best thing to do for everyone involved tends to be moving on and not looking back.
That will be the case for the Bulls and Markkanen this offseason. Although he will be a restricted free agent, the Bulls will only be hoping a sign and trade is best for him in finding a new home. That way they can gain some sort of asset for moving on from a still very promising NBA player.
Those in charge of the team were not those in charge when Markkanen was drafted and it’s very possible he just doesn’t fit in their vision for the team. This season was, in a way, a one-year trial run on Markkanen where they could evaluate him and decide if they should include him in the long-term outlook of the team.
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.
Reason No. 2 the Chicago Bulls won’t be retaining Lauri Markkanen: Inconsistent Contributions
Tying directly into the financial implications, as all three reasons do tie into one another, is the performance Markkanen has displayed over the years, but most significantly this season. Consider the significant amount of cap space that will be needed to retain him in upcoming years and compare that to the performance he has had this season.
They don’t line up. There is no way to line them up without banking on Markkanen becoming an entirely different player and producer on the court. While some teams that have different goals than the Chicago Bulls make sense as investors in him, the Bulls simply don’t.
They can’t get what they need out of him, making investing in him not worth seriously considering. That was already very clear before he was moved into a bench role this season, though that change sealed the deal on his inability to contribute on a consistent level.
Maybe, just maybe, had he shown an ability early on to thrive in that role things would be a little bit different. The fact that he has used the change in role to remind those watching of his ups and downs on the court makes the upcoming move inevitable.
In some games, he is on fire and makes a huge difference with his shooting as a big man. In other games, he isn’t very interested in taking shots at all. Markkanen almost never contributes in other ways these days.
The fourth-year big man is on pace to finish this season with career-low averages across the board. Although his shooting percentages are up, that is negated by the lack of willingness to be a scorer each and every night.
Far too many of his shot attempts are coming from three. No assertiveness by him to use his size to get into a rhythm with some easy makes is shown. If he isn’t hitting from outside early he isn’t going to make an impact.
The inconsistencies are a major reason he will not be returning to the Chicago Bulls for the 2021-22 NBA season.
Reason No.1 the Chicago Bulls won’t be retaining Lauri Markkanen: The Decision to Acquire Nikola Vucevic
The move that sealed the deal on the future of Lauri Markkanen was made at this year’s trade deadline. The Bulls got their number two scorer to play alongside LaVine and the writing was on the wall for Markkanen and his career as a Bull.
The two big men simply do not fit alongside one another on the basketball court. Vooch is the obviously and easily better player of the two and makes bringing back Markkanen nearly impossible even if the team really wanted to.
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Markkanen’s greatest strength is shooting, something Vooch does better than him anyway. Add in the number of other ways Vucevic impacts the game offensively and the comparison is nonexistent.
Neither is anything to get excited about defensively. In fact, they are both liabilities on that end. It is that truth that makes playing them alongside one another extremely hard to do.
Sure, it can work against a few teams and on random occasions. The strong majority of the time it will be taken advantage of by opponents and put the Bulls in a hole they have to climb out of.
When the decision was made to bring in Vucevic to play with LaVine, a lot of things became very clear moving forward. One of those things was that the roster, and specifically starting unit, would need to be adjusted to fit the two all-stars.
Defense is needed from all other positions, but especially in the frontcourt. Vucevic can be exploited by opposing bigs and is not a rim protector. The Bulls need someone that is at least competent at one of those things to avoid being a terrible defensive team moving forward.