Chicago Bulls: 3 players who could soon be done with the team

Lauri Markkanen, PF

At this point of the regular season, it is clear for Donovan and the Bulls that this rotation becomes much more formidable when fourth-year power forward Lauri Markkanen is having a strong shooting night off the bench. Markkanen’s ability to get in rhythm from deep and drive the lane with his seven-foot frame obviously makes a huge difference in the flow of the offense.

You could also argue that Markkanen is at the most inconsistent point of his career, in terms of production on a nightly basis. It’s hard to tell what version of Markkanen will be out on the floor night in and night out. In the Bulls May 13 win over the Raptors, Markkanen was solid in almost all respects of the game. He shot 7-of-10 from the field and added multiple blocks and steals.

However, you don’t know what Markkanen would be able to provide the Bulls with in the years ahead if the front office does decide to sign him out of restricted free agency this offseason. Markkanen is currently in the midst of the final year of his rookie contract, and the writing is on the wall that the front office might not want to bring him back for next season.

Markkanen had a strong start to this season but has really slowed down since the start of the month of March. The problem with that is he didn’t come on strong at the exact time that the Bulls needed him to. And that was the perfect time for Markkanen to heat up to prove his value when he hits the restricted free agent market this summer.