The Chicago Bulls have been very active this offseason in the NBA trade rumor mill, but have not pulled the trigger on any big moves. Zach LaVine was rumored to be available at one point in time and Lauri Markkanen was a name that came up as well. Could the Boston Celtics make a play to acquire Markkanen from Chicago?
Danny Ainge has been talking trades a lot this offseason as well. Most notably, he discussed a Gordon Hayward sign-and-trade with the Pacers. Unfortunately, the two sides could not come to an agreement.
One thing is for certain, which is the fact that the Celtics would like to improve in the front-court. Myles Turner was not of interest to Boston in the Hayward trade talks, but perhaps Markkanen could be if the Bulls are open to trading him.
Last season with the Bulls, Markkanen ended up averaging 14.7 points and 6.3 rebounds per game. He shot 42.5 percent from the floor and knocked down 34.4 percent of his three-point attempts. Those numbers may not look great, but there is a ton of potential for Markkanen to grow into.
All of that being said, let’s dive in and take a look at a potential trade that would send Lauri Markkanen from the Bulls to the Celtics.