(670 The Score) As big man Lauri Markkanen’s future with the Bulls remains murky, a preference of his has emerged.
Markkanen has privately expressed a desire to join the Mavericks, Joe Cowley of the Sun-Times reported. Markkanen is set to be a restricted free agent this offseason, meaning the Bulls will have matching rights on any offer he receives from another team.
Markkanen’s future is Chicago is in doubt after a couple seasons of inconsistency and after he was removed from the Bulls’ starting lineup following their acquisition of All-Star center Nikola Vucevic in late March. The Bulls won’t want to pay starter’s money to Markkanen, who on several occasions late in the season expressed his belief that he’s still a starting-caliber player in the NBA.
Markkanen has also indicated he’s ready to dive into the free-agent waters.
“My thing is I think I’ve always been a team-first guy,” Markkanen told NBC Sports Chicago shortly after the Bulls' season ended. “And I think now it’s time to look at the business side of the game. I feel like I’m only 23 years old, and I have a lot of basketball ahead of me. It’s a good opportunity to look what’s out there for me. I can be a focal point. I think I have a lot more to offer.”
The trouble with Markkanen’s desire to play for the Mavericks is he might be a redundant fit with Dallas big man Kristaps Porzingis, as they have some similarities in their skill sets. Beyond the Mavericks, the Knicks are another team that could be a fit for Markkanen, Cowley reported.
Markkanen, who just turned 24 on Saturday, averaged 13.6 points and 5.3 rebounds while shooting 48.0% overall and 40.2% on 3-pointers in 25.8 minutes across 51 games, including 26 starts, this past season. Markkanen was the No. 7 overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, with the Bulls acquiring him from the Timberwolves in the Jimmy Butler trade that night.
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