The Chicago Bulls still face a need to facilitate a sign-and-trade to send Lauri Markkanen elsewhere. He remains available in NBA free agency with a few teams linked as potential suitors, including the Dallas Mavericks.
According to Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer, the Dallas Mavericks, New Orleans Pelicans, Minnesota Timberwolves and Boston Celtics have all shown interest in Markkanen and for a contract that pays nearly $15 million in average salary.
Fischer also reported that Chicago is ‘requiring’ Markkanen’s next team to find a third team to take on salary in a potential sign-and-trade deal. The thought behind that is the Bulls want to avoid being close to the luxury tax line after their free agency additions.
From the Mavericks side of things, Marc Stein reported that Dallas’ ‘most feasible path’ to acquiring Markkanen in a sign-and-trade is to use the trade exception the team created by moving Josh Richardson to the Boston Celtics earlier this offseason.
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It won’t be easy for the Mavericks to pull off a sign-and-trade for Markkanen when considering all of the circumstances, but regardless, the team could look to make a somewhat intriguing offer.
Let’s take a look at an NBA trade scenario that features Lauri Markkanen landing with the Dallas Mavericks via a sign-and-trade with the Chicago Bulls.