{"id":39608,"date":"2021-05-19T12:49:18","date_gmt":"2021-05-19T16:49:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=39608"},"modified":"2021-05-19T12:49:18","modified_gmt":"2021-05-19T16:49:18","slug":"lauri-markkanen-expected-to-test-free-agent-market","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2021\/05\/19\/lauri-markkanen-expected-to-test-free-agent-market\/","title":{"rendered":"Lauri Markkanen Expected to Test Free Agent Market"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Chicago Bulls acquired Lauri Markkanen<\/strong><\/a> as part of a draft-night trade back in 2017. His first two seasons in the league were solid from a production standpoint. Now, there’s a possibility he may take his talents elsewhere.<\/p>\n

Chicago Bulls forward Lauri Markkanen expected to test the free-agent market this offseason.<\/h2>\n

In his rookie season, Markkanen posted averages of 15.2 points and 7.5 rebounds per contest. He also shot 36.2% from the 3-point line. He followed that up with per-game averages of 18.7 points and nine rebounds per outing in his second season.<\/p>\n

Year three proved to be a different story, however, as his production dipped to 14.7 points and 6.3 rebounds per game. Not only that, but his efficiency numbers (42.5% overall and 34.4% from three) took a noticeable dip as well.<\/p>\n

The Bulls and Markannen failed to reach an agreement on an extension prior to the start of the season, which was somewhat expected. With a new look to the front office and a different coaching staff, Markannen was hoping to prove his worth. Early on, Markkanen betting on himself looked like a smart move. He posted a pair of 20-point outings in the team’s first four games of the season. And he averaged 21.3 points per contest in January. But after missing several weeks with an injury, combined with a mid-season trade that reduced his playing time, Markkanen struggled as he averaged less than 15 points per contest over the final three months of the season.<\/p>\n

Markkanen can still produce.<\/h3>\n

On the plus side, the Bulls forward shot career-bests 48% from the field and 40.2% from beyond the arc. On the other hand, Markkanen also produced career lows in scoring (13.6 points per game) and rebounds (5.3).<\/p>\n

Taking those numbers into consideration, will the Bulls and Markkanen part ways in the offseason?<\/p>\n

\u201cI mean, I\u2019m happy with some of the things I did this year,” Markkanen said via NBC Sports Chicago<\/a>. Obviously, team-wise we\u2019re disappointed we\u2019re not playing. One of my goals was to shoot 40 percent from three. And I did that. But I know I can do a lot more. I\u2019m excited about what the business side is going to bring this year. I\u2019m taking a little bit of my mind off basketball right now. We\u2019ll see what happens.\u201d<\/p>\n

The front office has stated that Markkanen is an important part of what team hopes to accomplish going forward. Additionally, since he is a restricted free agent, the Bulls can match any offer Markkanen receives.<\/p>\n

On the heels of a season in which he knocked down 40% of his attempts from deep, Markkanen should draw some attention from other NBA teams. One of those teams being the Boston Celtics, who are reportedly<\/a> in the market for a big that can space the floor.<\/p>\n

It will be interesting to see how much the Bulls are willing to pay to retain his services.<\/p>\n

Main Photo:
\nEmbed from Getty Images<\/a>