Chicago Bulls: 3 players that could heavily impact 2021 offseason
By Ryan Heckman
Chicago Bulls that could heavily impact the offseason: Lauri Markkanen
Lastly, the Bulls will be greatly impacted by what happens with forward Lauri Markkanen. He is now entering restricted free agency, which means the Bulls have an opportunity to match any offer he receives from another team.
However, do the Bulls really want to pay Markkanen a hefty salary going forward? If he gets what he’ll likely want, Markkanen’s salary could be the second-highest on the Bulls in 2021-2022, and he’s not worth that amount of money.
The dream scenario, for Bulls fans, is if the team can execute a sign-and-trade with Markkanen. To at least get something in return would be a plus, especially with the Bulls probably not getting a first-round pick in this year’s draft (pick is top-4 protected, but dealt to Orlando if it falls).
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Markkanen still hasn’t hit his ceiling, and I’m not so sure the Bulls want to pay him and continue to wait. If they can deal him this summer, they shouldn’t hesitate to do so. That way, they can consider it more money saved against the cap and go after more impactful players in free agency.