Entering the 2021 NBA offseason, we all expected Lauri Markkanen to find a new home this summer. But after a seemingly endless series of rumors indicating teams were interested in the Finnish forward—including New Orleans, Minnesota, San Antonio, Charlotte, and finally Dallas—it started to feel like a deal was never going to come to fruition and that Markkanen would eventually return to the Chicago Bulls in anticlimactic fashion.
Then, seemingly out of nowhere, the Cleveland Cavaliers emerged as suitors for Markkanen and sealed a deal before interest from any party involved managed to leak. A big obstacle in negotiations proved to be Markkanen’s unwillingness to accept less money, which ultimately held up the DeMar DeRozan deal that would have otherwise sent Lauri to San Antonio instead of the beloved veteran forward Thaddeus Young.
Cleveland does not seem to possess the hesitancy of San Antonio, however, as the Cavaliers have locked Markkanen up on a four-year, $67 million deal in a sign-and-trade with the Chicago Bulls. The Portland Trail Blazers also got involved in the transaction to make it a three-team trade, acquiring Larry Nance Jr. from Cleveland in the process.
The Bulls on the other hand received a strong haul in return with a solid bench piece in Derrick Jones Jr., along with a lottery-protected first-round draft pick from Portland and a second-round draft pick from Cleveland (via Denver).
The Chicago Bulls are not done making moves yet, they have much to figure out in the wake of the trade that sent Lauri Markkanen to Cleveland.
As it currently stands, the Bulls have metamorphosized into a whole new team this summer. In fact, Patrick Williams is now the third-longest tenured player on the team (after Zach LaVine and Coby White) after just completing his rookie campaign.
LaVine and White will join the newly acquired trio of Lonzo Ball, Alex Caruso, and Ayo Dosunmu to round out the guard rotation. Jones Jr., Troy Brown Jr., and Javonte Green will likely battle it out for the backup small forward spot behind DeMar DeRozan. Williams will slide down to starting power forward while Nikola Vucevic leads the center position with Tony Bradley and Marko Simonovic in reserve.
As you can see, there’s not much left for Chicago to figure out. That is, besides who will be the primary power forward off the bench now that Markkanen is gone. The Bulls still have two open roster spots as well as a two-way contract slot available to give out, so there’s still a lot that could happen between now and the start of the 2021-22 season.
Let’s look at the first of four remaining free agents I believe would be the best options when it comes to replacing Lauri Markkanen on the Chicago Bulls.
I want to preface this by saying, I believe LaMarcus Aldridge to the Chicago Bulls is very unlikely. He is well past his prime, and probably shouldn’t be risking his health for anything short of a championship chase. The Bulls should be much improved this season don’t get me wrong, but calling them championship contenders at this point in time would be a little ambitious, to say the least.
But of all the teams not located in Milwaukee, San Francisco, Los Angeles, or Brooklyn, I believe the Bulls present the best opportunity for Aldridge. He would come into a situation where he could seamlessly slide in next to DeRozan, whom Aldridge has shared a locker room with for the last two and a half years. DeRozan has had nothing but positive things to say about the big man.
“I had a great time with him. Hell of a player, to be able to play with a dynamic player like that”, DeRozan said, “In my opinion, [Aldridge is a] Hall of Famer.”
There’s a strong case to be made that reuniting the two former Spurs would help elevate this Bulls team even further. Additionally, Aldridge also wouldn’t be expected to exert a ton of effort on the defensive side of things with a strong defensive bench unit consisting of Caruso, Brown Jr., Jones Jr., and Bradley. Aldridge would be allowed to take as much rest as necessary and focus solely on being an offensive threat and crashing the boards.
It remains to be seen just how much Aldridge has left in the tank, but he has been incredibly productive as recently as 2019-20, where he averaged 18.9 points, 7.4 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 1.6 blocks per contest. Aldridge has also surprisingly managed to develop into a dependable three-point shooter, nailing 38.8 percent of his shots on a decent volume of three attempts per game over the last two seasons.
It wouldn’t be the first time in recent memory the Chicago Bulls profited by gambling on a big man who was seen past his prime by others around the league. As you may remember, Pau Gasol joined the Bulls in 2014 where he became a lethal pick-and-pop option and double-double threat. Gasol was an All-Star in both seasons with Chicago after not making the team in the three years prior, even earning an All-NBA nod in 2014-15.
If Aldridge could harness that same energy, the Bulls could get a player who was an All-Star as recently as 2019 for pennies on the dollar. All that being said, Aldridge is not Gasol and we can’t guarantee he would find success once again, especially with the Bulls intent on investing their starting minutes at power forward on Patrick Williams.
File Bismack Biyombo to the Chicago Bulls under, “Meh, I suppose it makes sense?” for me, please. It’s not the most attractive of moves, nor would it hardly constitute being a real ‘Woj Bomb’, but of all the established veteran bigs on the market, Bismack is my favorite. Thinking practically and addressing any glaring holes instead of star-chasing is how Arturas Karnisovas and Marc Eversley are going to build the Chicago Bulls into a winning team.
Biyombo’s not going to go out there and get you buckets, you just have to accept that. In fact, his career-high in points scored over the course of a whole season is just 7.4 per game. But he brings versatility and defensive stopping power that other free agents like Aron Baynes, Isaiah Hartenstein, and Niccolo Melli just can’t.
Besides, Chicago has more than enough offensive threats in their starting lineup and with Coby White off the bench. What the Bulls lack, however, is a rim protector that offsets what Williams lacks in size and Vucevic lacks in speed. Biyombo is defensive effort personified and is liable to give you a big block or two on any given night.
Best of all, Biyombo could likely be had on a veteran’s minimum deal. This saves the Bulls from having to use their $5 million trade exception until they find someone they feel comfortable cashing it out on. With so many roster spots left to fill and being just $6 million under the luxury tax, affordability is going to be a big issue moving forward.
Also, I think he’d look really cool in a Chicago Bulls jersey.
After being relegated to the bench in his first two seasons in Denver and Minnesota, Jarred Vanderbilt finally got a fair chance in the rotation entering his third NBA season with the Timberwolves. He registered just 17.8 minutes per game (the lowest of any player on this list) but made a noticeable impact in that time.
Vanderbilt proved to have great defensive potential despite battling other J-named prospects like Jaden McDaniels, Jarrett Culver, Josh Okogie, and Jaylen Nowell for any additional playing time. Vanderbilt averaged 2.0 steals and 1.5 blocks per 36 minutes with a 1.0 defensive box plus/minus.
Since Minnesota has so many options to choose from—and with McDaniels emerging as the best of the bunch—it’s possible the Bulls could pry Vanderbilt away without having his offer matched as a restricted free agent.
Although it seems the Bulls are going all-in on the plan to win now, they’ve done a great job of retaining their future potential and prospects. Chicago managed to add DeRozan, Vucevic, and Ball in the span of six months without giving up their two most valuable prospects in Williams and White. Shown by the fact the Bulls got a first-round pick back in the Markkanen trade, it’s clear that management isn’t being short-sighted in their efforts.
Speaking of the Markkanen trade, Vanderbilt draws a likeness to Derrick Jones Jr. in a 6-foot-9 body. This team needs as many quality defenders and lob threats for Lonzo. One of the biggest criticisms of Vanderbilt is his bad hands, but he’d have some of the best playmakers and lob-passers in the NBA to help alleviate those issues. I believe that’s a small flaw that could be coached out but if it’s enough for the Timberwolves to let him walk I think it would be a foolish opportunity for the Bulls to miss out on.
For anyone who has been following Chicago Bulls’ free agency fan predictions, this one should come as no surprise. Paul Millsap is the quintessential veteran leader every young team needs to steer the locker room towards success. Ironically, the Bulls already had this player in Thaddeus Young, but Markkanen’s insistence on getting paid worked out at Chicago’s expense.
The logical solution here would be to pursue Millsap, who has 15 years and over 1000 games of NBA experience under his belt. Millsap has played for three teams across his career, having endeared himself to the fanbase of each one.
It’s surprising Millsap is actually even still available at this point in free agency. Considering the Nuggets are already pushing against the luxury tax threshold, and Michael Porter Jr. elevating his game and proving he’s the future, Millsap is left out of the long-term picture in Denver.
Millsap is certainly no longer his 2015-16 All-Defense self, but his high basketball IQ and size still make him a positive on the defensive end. He is a well-rounded player with the ability to rebound, defend, and even do a little playmaking. Most surprisingly, Millsap has developed a decently consistent shot, making 37.8 percent of his attempts from beyond the arc over the last three seasons.
Sliding in Millsap behind Williams gives the Bulls the most flexibility of any of the remaining free agent options. He’s a jack of all trades that can bolster the bench, as well as seamlessly integrate with the starting lineup when necessary. That’s not something I could say about Vanderbilt, Biyombo, or Aldridge.
The only thing that remains to be seen is how much Millsap is looking to sign for in free agency, but since the big man has made nearly $200 million over the course of his career it may not be a deal-breaker. Even so, Chicago still holds a few avenues to getting a deal done with either their bi-annual exception and $5 million trade exception. The sooner the Chicago Bulls have their replacement for Lauri Markkanen, the better.