NEWSLETTER
I don’t believe athletes for a second when they act all calm and collected about their contract negotiations, especially guys like Lauri Markkanen.
They all say, “I’m just focused on basketball, and my agent will take care of it.” Uh, we’re talking about millions and millions of dollars here. Not to mention, financial security for several years to come. I mean, I guess just knowing you’ll get millions regardless is a good problem to have, but I’d still be all up in my agent’s grill 24/7. Nay, I’d be at the negotiating table sweating my ass off as I try to understand all the weird logistics.
On that note …
• Both Lauri Markkanen and the front office have remained adamant that they want an extension done this offseason, but with two days to go until the deadline hits, they still have yet to put their money where their mouth is. In fact, we learned on Saturday morning that the Bulls and Markkanen “remain far apart” on a potential deal, per HoopsHype. The news is a bit of a bummer, but it’s not hard to understand why this might be the case. Not to mention, there is certainly a world where no deal is actually a win-win for the Bulls front office. If Markkanen goes off this season and finally proves his worth, Chicago will get to decide whether or not they want to keep him around in restricted free agency. If he has a pretty average season, the Bulls can either move on from the big man or potentially keep him around on a more team-friendly deal. Sure, there is always a chance in the average season situation that another team forces the Bulls to pay too much to keep Markkanen (and, of course, if you were confident in a breakout, you might get a better long-term deal with him now when his perceived value is lower and leverage is waning), but we’ll just cross that bridge when (if?) we get there.
• Let’s not linger too long on the future, though, because there still is a chance for Markkanen to enter the season on a fresh contract. Both sides may feel the heat to get something done as the deadline looms, and perhaps the strong performance from Markkanen last night can give all parties some confidence in his future development.
Lauri Markkanen was getting buckets.
22 points | 9-17 FG | 4 threes | 5 rebs pic.twitter.com/c3hV858r5A
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) December 19, 2020
• No, the Markkanen performance wasn’t anything special, but it was the kind of outing we should expect from him. He knocked down the 3, attacked the basket, played solid defense, and simply brought a strong energy to the floor. Watching the game couldn’t help but make Bulls fans wonder, could this be the game where things finally click? We’ve had that feeling before with Markkanen, so the safest approach is to believe it when we see it. However, Markkanen was not shy about praising Donovan’s new offensive system after the game, and he sounded more than confident that better days are ahead.
Lauri Markkanen on his comfort level in Billy Donovan's (offensive) system: "I feel like it’s night and day from last year. Being in down-screens and being on the move the whole time… I’m really liking the offense so far."
— Rob Schaefer (@rob_schaef) December 19, 2020
• In his conversation with the media after the game, Markkanen addressed some of the pick-and-roll play we saw between him and Wendell Carter Jr. I truly hope these two continue to play off of each other when the regular season comes around. When the backcourt is struggling to knock down shots offensively, which is exactly what happened last night thanks to Coby White’s 1-10 performance, this kind of two-man frontcourt game can come through clutch. Both Markkanan and Carter Jr. are versatile enough and savvy enough to make a good read on the pick-and-roll. Plus, it especially doesn’t hurt that shooters like Zach LaVine and Coby White can be waiting to bail them out along the perimeter. ESPN’s Zach Lowe talked more about what these two can provide on the offensive end, and (if you haven’t already) I recommend you give it a read.
• Hometown kid Zach Norvell Jr. and Windy City Bulls standout Simi Shittu have hit waivers. The Bulls 15-man roster is now set and remains what we all thought it would be. I’ll be interested to see whether Norvell or Shittu can strike a deal with the Windy City Bulls. Shittu, specifically, showed some great promise last night in the Bulls comeback effort. I’ve been decently high on him as a G-League prospect to keep around, so I hope Chicago has a close eye on him.
Transactions: We have waived Zach Norvell Jr. and Simi Shittu.
Thank you both for putting in the work and best of luck. pic.twitter.com/6rFZXd8gU1
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) December 19, 2020
• Let’s end with some Patrick Williams love.
ʰᵉ'ˢ ᵒⁿˡʸ ¹⁹ pic.twitter.com/qwLxfV1gqu
— Bulls Talk (@NBCSBulls) December 19, 2020
Pat’s floater game 💯@NBCSChicago | @patricklw4 pic.twitter.com/czmrhCBbna
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) December 19, 2020
