Does this move make sense for the Chicago Bulls?
Quite honestly, the Chicago Bulls really should try to find a trade partner for Lauri Markkanen in a sign-and-trade deal this offseason because it is looking like they are going to lose him in free agency. This is something that has been in trade rumors as NBA free agency has approached.
With their priorities set on bringing in a reliable point guard and having Vucevic in the frontcourt, there is really no need to keep the young big man on a long-term deal, which is why he has likely played his last game in Chicago.
Lauri Markkanen is a great talent and has a lot of room to continue growing, but the Bulls have other, more important needs on their roster. Targeting Lonzo Ball, Dennis Schroder or Spencer Dinwiddie in free agency is at the top of their priority list, as they should be!
Keeping Markkanen would result in the Bulls likely hard-capping themselves since the only way they could then go after Ball would be via a sign-and-trade, unless they were to do a double sign-and-trade and send Markkanen to New Orleans for Ball, but this seems unlikely to happen.
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Chicago should look to salvage some value now by trading Markkanen on one of the first few days of free agency, otherwise, they will wind up having to let him walk as an unrestricted free agent when they renounce his rights.
