Chicago Bulls: 5 free agents team must make decisions on

Chicago Bulls must make a decision on Lauri Markkanen

Lauri Markkanen is going to attract some attention this offseason. As a restricted free agent, the Bulls control his destiny. They can match any offer he receives this summer and Markkanen will instantly return to the Bulls.

But, would that be the right move for Chicago?

The issue with the Bulls and Markkanen is that he may want $20-plus million per season, and he’s not quite worth that amount of money. After year four, Markkanen is still unfinished. If the Bulls brought him back, the hope would be that he could fully break out in year five — but is that just wishful thinking?

Maybe, Markkanen is what he is: a pretty good shooter, average rebounder and mediocre defender. Is that really the type of player the Bulls want to spend big on?

The hope was that Markkanen could be a cornerstone piece of this team, but he hasn’t developed into that just yet. He hasn’t established himself as one of those players the team can go to in the tough, gritty times for a bucket.

If the Bulls are going to spend this summer, it should be elsewhere. Unfortunately for Markkanen, he has not done enough to earn big money. If all goes right for the Bulls, Markkanen will be playing next season in a different uniform.