Chicago Bulls moving on from Lauri Markkanen, per report
The Chicago Bulls acquired the rights to Lauri Markkanen as part of a draft-night trade back in 2017. During his rookie campaign, the Bulls forward compiled averages of 15.2 points and 7.5 rebounds per contest.
In Year 2, Markkanen posted averages of 18.7 points and nine rebounds per contest on slash lines of .430/.361/.872 in 51 appearances for the Bulls. Unfortunately for both sides, things kind of went south from there.
During the 2019-20 season, Markkanen’s scoring and rebounding numbers tailed off a bit as he averaged 14.7 points and 6.3 boards per outing. With a new coaching regime in place, Markkanen hoped that his skill set would be properly utilized.
Unfortunately, for the Bulls, that didn’t happen. In fact, Markkanen has his worse season in a Bulls uniform. He averaged a career-low 13.6 points and 5.3 rebounds per outing.
On the heels of a forgettable season, Markkanen stated that he was ready to move on from the Chicago Bulls and that he wanted to resume his NBA career somewhere else.
Based on those comments, Markkanen’s days with the Bulls were numbered. While there wasn’t much news on this front over the past couple of weeks, it appears that Markkanen and the Bulls are parting ways.
Chicago Bulls ship Markkanen to the Cleveland Cavaliers
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Bulls have traded Markkanen to the Cleveland Cavaliers in a sign-and-trade deal that also includes the Portland Trail Blazers. The deal is worth four-year totaling $67 million. In return, the Bulls will acquire Derrick Jones Jr. and a protected first-round pick from Portland. Additionally, the Bulls will also receive a future second-round pick from the Cavaliers.
Yes, the Bulls are losing a legitimate floor spacer as Markkanen posted career-highs in overall shooting (48 percent). And he also knocked down 40.2 percent of his attempts from 3-point range.
On the flip side of the narrative, the Bulls didn’t do too bad in this deal, either. They parted ways with a player that was no longer a viable fit on the current roster. Secondly, they acquired a player who could be a solid defensive player off the bench along with two future-round picks.
Whether the Bulls’ offseason moves will pay instant dividends remains to be seen. What can’t be debated is that the front office is serious about turning this squad into a playoff contender.