The Chicago Bulls traded Lauri Markkanen in a three-team sign-and-trade back in 2021, and it took five years to get the draft pick from the deal. The Bulls acquired a lottery-protected first-round pick from the Portland Trail Blazers that has been restricted since 2022. With Portland finally breaking their playoff drought, Chicago got the 15th pick in the 2026 NBA Draft and selected Dailyn Swain.
The Bulls got Derrick Jones and this draft pick in the three-team deal that sent Larry Nance Jr. to the Blazers and Lauri Markkanen to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Markkanen spent just one season in Cleveland before being sent to Utah in the Donovan Mitchell trade. The 7’1 big man became an All-Star with the Jazz and has transformed into an elite scorer.
This was just one of the many disastrous moves by Arturas Karnisovas, who was finally fired by the Bulls in April. Chicago got Markkanen as a key piece in the Jimmy Butler trade. He never fully blossomed in the Windy City, and the Bulls opted against paying him after four years. They got one first-round pick and a role player in return for a future All-Star. Consider this a disaster unless Dailyn Swain becomes a star.
Bulls’ Lauri Markkanen trade is finalized in the 2026 NBA Draft
It only took five years for Chicago to finally get their first round draft pick. Karnisovas developed a reputation for selling at the wrong time. From the regrettable Josh Giddey trade to his 2026 deadline deals that sent out Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu, AK never sold at peak value. It had the Bulls stuck in the middle and never escaping the Play-In Tournament.
Here is a look at the full details of the Lauri Markkanen sign-and-trade from 2021.
Bulls got: Derrick Jones Jr. and Dailyn Swain
Cavaliers received: Lauri Markkanen
Blazers acquired: Larry Nance Jr.
Portland got the worst of this trade. They gave up Derrick Jones Jr. and this draft pick for 37 games of Larry Nance Jr. The 6’6 forward wasn’t a fit for the Blazers, so the franchise traded him to the Pelicans less than six months later.
The Bulls gave up Markkanen for Swain and two seasons of DJJ. Jones Jr. struggled in Chicago, but helped the Mavericks reach the 2024 NBA Finals immediately after leaving the Bulls. It was another situation of Chicago not maximizing value and failing to put role players in positions to succeed.
Swain has work to do before getting NBA minutes. He must improve his defense and jump shot. The 6'6 wing has upside, but it will take time.
Without this Markkanen trade, Donovan Mitchell may not even be on the Cavaliers. Cleveland used the sharpshooter to get the seven-time All-Star.
Bryson Graham has to be better than Karnisovas as the Bulls' lead decision-maker. The last era in Chicago was littered with disastrous moves and failures to realize the value of their players. Markkanen was one of the first that AK didn’t value properly. Luckily, the Bulls finally got a first-round pick from the trade. It only took half a decade to become a reality.
The Chicago Bulls drafted Dailyn Swain with the 15th overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft thanks to the Lauri Markkanen trade. Chicago is finally entering a rebuild, and fans can expect their two first-rounders to be building blocks moving forward.
Hopefully, Graham nailed both and has the Bulls on the right track. Hitting on the 15th pick will turn this Markkanen trade from a total disaster to just a regrettable move. That is the best the Bulls can hope for.
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