Chicago Bulls: 3 teams that offer the worst situation for Lauri Markkanen

Worst situations that Chicago Bulls PF Lauri Markkanen could land in: Minnesota Timberwolves

The idea that the Minnesota Timberwolves could pursue Markkanen came about last week, and it’s one that he should likely avoid. Markkanen could help to round out a budding young core with the Timberwolves. But this is also a spot where a lot of younger careers have not been developed fully within the past decade.

It could also be a clunky fit with the Timberwolves as Markkanen might not be able to play to his strengths with that frontcourt unit. He would be playing alongside another not-so-great defensive big man in two-time All-Star center Karl-Anthony Towns and a very high-usage guard in the former Georgia Bulldog and first overall pick Anthony Edwards.

Markkanen likely needs to be in a spot where his skill set can be curated with the rest of the rotation in a way that Donovan and the Bulls were able to do at times during the regular season. He shouldn’t be asked to do too much, especially on the defensive end of the floor. But getting him in rhythm and confident with his drive and shooting stroke on the offensive end is key.

Markkanen is also a good enough rebounder that it could be a key part of his game that is maximized elsewhere.

All in all, Markkanen is not the big man that the Timberwolves need at the moment. And landing with the Timberwolves definitely would not be best for the future success of Markkanen beyond this offseason. The Timberwolves ranked 28th in defensive rating last season and fourth in pace, which could be a bad combination for someone like Markkanen given the lack of beneficial supporting cast in the Twin Cities.