Why Chicago Bulls could bring back Lauri Markkanen: He can rebuild his value by playing well
If there’s one thing Markkanen has made abundantly clear this summer, it’s that he wants to get paid. He could have accepted a long-term deal from either Chicago or San Antonio but opted instead to bet on himself. Obviously, that gamble has not paid off… yet.
By taking the one-year qualifying offer, Lauri is now primed and looking to rebuild his value for 2022’s free agency period. Chicago now has stars that will pull attention off of Markkanen, defenders that can hide him on defense, and need a role filled that Markkanen suits perfectly.
At this point, Lauri’s been placed into a position to succeed by the Bulls. His fate and future earning potential are in his own hands, he will have no one else to blame for any failings this upcoming season. This is precisely why I expect we may see the Finnish big man put on one of his greatest performances yet.
Lauri Markkanen could significantly improve his value this season with the Chicago Bulls, instead of being locked into a cheap long-term deal.
With a fire lit under his belly and a huge bag of cash driving him forward, Markkanen could end up being a surprisingly big contributor early on. Shooting 40.2 percent from deep on a high volume of 5.8 three-point attempts per game, Lauri is a sharpshooter whose value from outside could be invaluable in a league that becomes more three-point oriented by the year.
Only 11 players in the NBA maintained a higher efficiency on a volume greater than or equal to Markkanen’s, none of whom played the majority of their minutes at the power forward or center positions.
Lauri clearly has a rare and remarkable talent that holds value around the league, it’s simply a matter if he can get his head in the right place to consistently perform well on a nightly basis.
If he can manage that, Chicago’s bench will be much better off for it. Caruso makes a high percentage of his three-point attempts, but only takes 2.4 of them per game. Bradley and Brown Jr. are non-factors from deep, the latter making a poor 31.1 percent of his attempts while the former refuses to even shoot them at all.
White on the other hand is an adequate shooter but only hits them at a rate just above league average (35.9 percent). Needless to say, the Bulls could use Lauri’s firepower when the starters rest.
Not only will the team be better if he maintains a high level of play, but it will be much easier moving Markkanen when the trade deadline rolls around. On a very affordable $9 million contract, there should be plenty of suitors for the big man, but it’s worth remembering that he would have a no-trade clause, and it appears he has one destination on his mind in particular.