Chicago Bulls: Why re-signing Lauri Markkanen should be a top priority

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Chicago Bulls Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports

The Chicago Bulls’ former vice president of operations, John Paxson, once referred to Lauri Markkanen as “a foundational piece for everything we want to be.” It was the summer of 2017 and the Bulls had just acquired Markkanen as part of the trade that sent Jimmy Butler to the Minnesota Timberwolves. The kid from Finland had recently been selected with the seventh pick in the draft and his upside was phenomenal.

Things can change quickly in the NBA, especially for young players who haven’t fully established their basketball identity. After a solid rookie campaign, Markkanen missed the first 23 games of the 2019 season with a high-grade lateral elbow sprain. Since then, a player who many compared to the legendary Dirk Nowitzki, has gone on to have an up and down pro career.

The Chicago Bulls could not come to terms on a contract extension with Lauri Markkanen this past offseason. His upside is too good to simply let him leave.

This past off-season, Markkanen and Chicago’s front office failed to come to terms on a contract extension. At the end of the year, he and the team will have to decide if it’s best to stay together or go in opposite directions. The Chicago Bulls should make it a priority to re-sign Lauri Markkanen this off-season. Here’s why.

Lauri Markkanen is finally healthy for the Chicago Bulls

During his first four seasons in the NBA, Lauri Markkanen has been plagued by injuries. An elbow sprain caused him to miss the first 23 games of his second season. Last year, a pelvic injury caused him to miss 15 games at a time when the Bulls were not yet mathematically eliminated from the playoffs. Their dismal performance during his absence effectively ended their season.

Even this season, a series of nagging injuries have caused Markkanen to miss a total of 20 games. However, since his return, he’s shown more of the bounce that made him appealing when the front office decided to trade the franchise player to Minnesota in order to acquire his services. In order to bring him along slowly, Coach Billy Donovan decided to keep Thadeus Young in what was formerly Markkanen’s starting spot. Since his return, Lauri’s minutes have increased every game and it’s only a matter of time before he’s reinserted into the starting lineup.

In just his fourth game back from injury, Markkanen gave Bulls fans a taste of what they’ve been waiting for when he scored 22 points in a win against the Oklahoma City Thunder. It’s hard to find seven-footers who can put the ball on the floor and get all the way to the paint for an above-the-rim finish. It’s even harder to find one capable of that who’s also shooting 39.7 percent from 3-point land. Now that he’s back to full strength, Bulls fans cringe at the thought of watching him walk out the door.

Next: Modern NBA skillset

Chicago Bulls’</a> former vice president of operations, John Paxson, once referred to<a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/04/26/chicago-bulls-re-sign-lauri-markkanen/"https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/m/markkla01.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener" ref="nofollow"> Lauri Markkanen</a> as “a foundational piece for everything we want to be.” It was the summer of 2017 and the Bulls had just acquired Markkanen as part of the trade that sent Jimmy Butler to the Minnesota Timberwolves. The kid from Finland had recently been selected with the seventh pick in the draft and his upside was phenomenal.</p> <p>Things can change quickly in the NBA, especially for young players who haven’t fully established their basketball identity. After a solid rookie campaign, Markkanen missed the first 23 games of the 2019 season with a high-grade lateral elbow sprain. Since then, a player who many compared to the legendary Dirk Nowitzki, has gone on to have an up and down pro career.</p> <h2>The Chicago Bulls could not come to terms on a contract extension with Lauri Markkanen this past offseason. His upside is too good to simply let him leave.</h2> <p>This past off-season, Markkanen and Chicago’s front office failed to come to terms on a contract extension. At the end of the year, he and the team will have to decide if it’s best to stay together or go in opposite directions. The Chicago Bulls should make it a priority to re-sign Lauri Markkanen this off-season. Here’s why.</p> <h2>Lauri Markkanen is finally healthy for the Chicago Bulls</h2> <p>During his first four seasons in the NBA, Lauri Markkanen has been plagued by injuries. An elbow sprain caused him to miss the first 23 games of his second season. Last year, a pelvic injury caused him to miss 15 games at a time when the Bulls were not yet mathematically eliminated from the playoffs. Their dismal performance during his absence effectively ended their season.</p> <div class="related-categoryright"><div class="related-main-title">More from <span class="related-name">Chicago Bulls</span></div><ul><li> <a class="related-link" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/04/26/chicago-bulls-re-sign-lauri-markkanen/"https://hoopshabit.com/2022/08/23/predicting-chicago-bulls-22-starters/" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="related-category-shortcode">Predicting the Chicago Bulls’ starting five for the 2022-23 season</a> </li><li> <a class="related-link" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/04/26/chicago-bulls-re-sign-lauri-markkanen/"https://hoopshabit.com/2022/08/07/demar-derozan-sustain-chicago-bulls/" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="related-category-shortcode">Can DeMar DeRozan sustain his production for the Chicago Bulls?</a> </li><li> <a class="related-link" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/04/26/chicago-bulls-re-sign-lauri-markkanen/"https://hoopshabit.com/2022/07/27/steps-malcolm-hill-chicago-bulls-roster/" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="related-category-shortcode">Steps Malcolm Hill must take to make the Chicago Bulls roster</a> </li><li> <a class="related-link" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/04/26/chicago-bulls-re-sign-lauri-markkanen/"https://hoopshabit.com/2022/07/25/andre-drummond-chicago-bulls/" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="related-category-shortcode">Andre Drummond will make an impact for the Chicago Bulls next season</a> </li><li> <a class="related-link" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/04/26/chicago-bulls-re-sign-lauri-markkanen/"https://hoopshabit.com/2022/06/25/nba-trades-rudy-gobert-chicago-bulls/" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="related-category-shortcode">NBA Trades: Pros and cons of a potential Rudy Gobert-Chicago Bulls trade</a> </li></ul></div> <p>Even this season, a series of nagging injuries have caused Markkanen to miss a total of 20 games. However, since his return, he’s shown more of the bounce that made him appealing when the front office decided to trade the franchise player to Minnesota in order to acquire his services. In order to bring him along slowly, Coach Billy Donovan decided to keep Thadeus Young in what was formerly Markkanen’s starting spot. Since his return, Lauri’s minutes have increased every game and it’s only a matter of time before he’s reinserted into the starting lineup.</p> <p>In just his fourth game back from injury, Markkanen gave Bulls fans a taste of what they’ve been waiting for when he scored 22 points in a win against the Oklahoma City Thunder. It’s hard to find seven-footers who can put the ball on the floor and get all the way to the paint for an above-the-rim finish. It’s even harder to find one capable of that who’s also shooting 39.7 percent from 3-point land. Now that he’s back to full strength, Bulls fans cringe at the thought of watching him walk out the door.</p> <div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/04/26/chicago-bulls-re-sign-lauri-markkanen/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Modern NBA skillset </a> </div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><div id="attachment_426975" class="wp-caption alignnone"> <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/04/26/chicago-bulls-re-sign-lauri-markkanen/"http://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/imagn-images/2018/08/15827327.jpeg">