Now that the Chicago Bulls look to have the starting five set heading into next season, two focuses look large for the front office for the remainder of the offseason. The Bulls are likely to still remain active in this cycle of free agency to continue to make progress in upgrading the bench. Head coach Billy Donovan clearly has a more formidable starting five heading into next season than he did last with the Bulls.
But that’s only one part of the battle for a Donovan and the Bulls ahead of next season. The other will be figuring out what to do with some of the key remaining pieces from the previous young core. That mainly includes figuring out what to do with fourth-year power forward Lauri Markkanen and second-year point guard Coby White.
Will the Chicago Bulls still try to part ways with Lauri Markkanen this summer?
It seems like the new Bulls’ front office wants nothing to do with the prior young core constructed by John Paxson and Gar Forman. Arturas Karnisovas already dealt the likes of center Wendell Carter Jr., center Daniel Gafford, small forward Chandler Hutchison, and let point guard Kris Dunn walk last summer. This doesn’t feel like a situation where Markkanen will be around for that much longer.
The level of buy-in that this front office has with Coby is also a major question mark. But that’s not as much of an immediate concern for Bulls fans at the moment as what will happen with the restricted free agent Markkanen.
While it is looking increasingly likely that the Bulls will keep Markkanen around heading into next season, which remaining free agents could replace him if he does walk?