Lauri Markkanen still does not know where he will play basketball next season.
The former-lottery pick told a Finnish reporter last week that he was ready to leave the Windy City, adding that he wanted a “fresh start” and that multiple teams have expressed interest in handing him a new deal. However, none of those teams have yet to make a transaction final, and one big reason for that is because of the power Arturas Karnisovas and Marc Eversley hold.
With cap space dried up around the league, organizations will likely have to negotiate a sign-and-trade with Chicago to get Markkanen on their books, thus giving the front office all the leverage. With that being the case, we learned via Marc Stein this weekend that the Bulls are looking for a first-round pick in change for the right to add the stretch big. Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer has now reported the same thing, adding that the front office has also asked Markkanen suitors to find a third party to eat whatever salary must be dumped.
Additionally, Fischer gave us an updated list of teams interested in offering Markkanen a deal somewhere in the $15 million AAV range, and that list includes the Mavericks, Pelicans, Celtics, and Timberwolves. All four teams have been connected to Markkanen in one way or another before, with the Pelicans being the most recent potential suitor to gain steam.
The positive here is that the front office appears to have plenty of teams willing to negotiate, but the lack of rumored deals suggests no one franchise has necessarily come close to striking a deal. With that in mind, Fischer reported that certain people in league circles have started to question whether a Markkanen deal can even get done.
“With that, there’s a belief among many league personnel that Markkanen will ultimately be forced into accepting a one-year qualifying offer that would pay him roughly $9 million and allow him to reach unrestricted free agency next summer, just like LaVine,” Fischer wrote in his latest report. “Yet, there’s also a strong sense Markkanen has no intent to return to Chicago on that structure.”
After everything that has transpired, it is hard to see a world where Markkanen is back in red and white come the 2021-22 season. The two sides are clearly eager to move on, and both seem prepared to wait things out until some kind of deal can be made. At the same time, we should not pretend like having Markkanen back on the bench is the worst thing in the world. A known-commodity and sharpshooter, his return would give the Bulls much-needed frontcourt depth.
I know it is a bit frustrating that this situation continues to loom, especially when we consider the team has yet to make a number of other free agency moves official, but the Bulls have played their cards right thus far. Fischer even shared a comment from a team capologist who believes Karnisovas and Eversley have approached things perfectly.
“Chicago is playing this masterfully from no other perspective than a contract management standpoint. It won’t do any favors relationship-wise, but they’re bleeding his market based on their tax situation, and nobody else can offer him any kind of money without them.”
Cap space continues to disappear, but Markkanen is one of the best remaining assets in the market. Also, while he may no longer fit in Chicago, there is no question another franchise could view the 24-year-old as a needle-moving rotation player. As time starts to become of the essence and other options run out, the Bulls could very well convince an anxious front office to meet their demands. Or … at least I hope.
Read Fischer’s full report below:
On the Bulls’ splashy offseason, the ongoing tampering investigation, how DeMar landed in Chicago, and Lauri Markkanen’s curious RFA limbo, all at @BR_NBA: https://t.co/68a3etXFMU
— Jake Fischer (@JakeLFischer) August 10, 2021