The Chicago Bulls’ talented forward may want out of the Windy City, but does he make sense for the New Orleans Pelicans? Let’s take a look.
Every season there are disgruntled players who want out of their current situation. These are the types of guys the New Orleans Pelicans may be able to target in a trade.
When a team has an unhappy player they lose all leverage, which is why most teams try to keep this information secret before attempting to make a trade.
Lauri Markkanen of the Bulls became the most recent player to express his dissatisfaction with the direction of his team.
According to the Chicago Sun-Times, Markkanen said that he wants out if the Bulls organization cannot get their act together.
This isn’t shocking, as the Bulls have had one of the most dysfunctional organizations since, well, since Michael Jordan left.
The Bulls’ front office has gotten more benefit of the doubt than any managers in history, and there is no doubt that John Paxson would have been fired long ago if he worked for some other organizations.
With the Bulls in purgatory as they finally search for a new front office, players like Markkanen are starting to wonder if they will ever straighten things out.
The front office turmoil, coupled with the fact that coach Jim Boylen clearly lost his team, means that there might be some unhappy Bulls on the trading block.
Markkanen has regressed under Boylen, who can’t seem to find a way to pair the talented seven-footer with Zach LaVine.
Since these two were supposed to be the building blocks, one of them might have to go if the Bulls can’t make it work.
Markkanen is an intriguing player for the New Orleans Pelicans, as he fits the profile of what they need, but may come at too high a cost for what amounts to one guaranteed year.
Let’s take a look at Markkanen’s strengths, weaknesses and what a trade to the New Orleans Pelicans might look like.
Lauri Markkanen’s Strengths
If the New Orleans Pelicans could fill out a wish list of players to add to their team they would probably name a backup center, a backup point guard, a defensive wing and a stretch-four.
They need a power forward who can shoot, a guy who can stretch the floor and open the lane for Zion Williamson to wreak havoc.
If the guy was a playmaker who can get his own shot and rebound a little, even better.
Markkanen fits this profile.
At seven-foot tall, and with the ability to both shoot the 3-pointer and put it on the floor, Markkanen is the prototypical, modern stretch-four.
Although his scoring took a step back this year under Boylen, Markkanen still averages 16.1 points and 7.6 rebounds per game for his career and has only began to scratch the surface of his talent.
Markkanen shoots the 3-pointer at 35.6 percent for his career and was launching 6.3 attempts per game prior to the suspension of play.
His shot is likely to improve if he’s on a team full of playmakers who can get him the ball in the right spots.
Markkanen also has the quickness to beat most defenders his size off the dribble and if he can’t, he can simply shoot over them.
It’s not hard to imagine this guy becoming one of the top scorers in the NBA at some point in his career.
He is still just 22, so his best basketball is still in front of him.
The New Orleans Pelicans have the rare chance to trade for a guy who has not yet hit his prime, and whose timeline fits well with the rest of their young core.
Lauri Markkanen’s Weaknesses
Markkanen’s biggest weakness is just that, weakness.
He lacks the physical strength to guard some power forwards and the lateral quickness to stay in front of some wings.
With his size, Markkanen should also be a better shot-blocker, especially from the weak side.
These wouldn’t be huge concerns for the New Orleans Pelicans, as few power forwards play in the post and Markkanen still has plenty of time to improve his shot blocking.
Markkanen has the tendency to disappear in games, especially under Boylen, but most Bulls’ fans would put that on the coach, not the player.
He can be too passive and often settles for long jumpers instead of trying to use his speed to get into the lane.
Another weakness of Markkanen as a trade target is that he only has one year remaining on his contract.
Even though he regressed in year three, Markkanen is still going to get paid, as seven-footers who can shoot three’s are one of the most valuable commodities in today’s game.
The New Orleans Pelicans would likely have to make a trade to keep him as a free agent, as they will already have a lot of money tied up in Jrue Holiday, Brandon Ingram and J.J. Redick with Lonzo Ball and Zion due for extensions.
The New Orleans Pelicans might feel they’d have to give up too much in a trade for Markkanen, who could end up being a one year rental.
The counter argument is, who cares?
Markkanen has the talent to take the New Orleans Pelicans to the next level, and even if it were only for one year, it would be worth it if the Pels made the Finals.
Let’s take a look at what a trade for Markkanen might look like.
What a trade might look like…
What the New Orleans Pelicans would have to give up in a trade for Markkanen would largely depend on what the Bulls want and how the Pelicans feel about their chances of re-signing Markkanen as a free agent.
Because Markkanen is unhappy, the Bulls have lost some leverage, and may want to trade him before he is able to walk for no return.
This drives his value down a bit.
But Markkanen is super-talented and as bad as the Bulls front office has been, they are unlikely to get fleeced in the new regime’s first trade.
In other words, Hayes and two picks in a weak draft may not be enough to get it done.
The Bulls also have a young center in Wendell Carter Jr., but may find the potential of Hayes and two picks too much to pass up.
The good news is the the New Orleans Pelicans have a ton of upcoming draft picks and could push out an offer that few NBA teams could match.
If the Bulls wanted another first rounder, say the 2023 pick the Pelicans can swap with the Lakers, then New Orleans might happily oblige.
There can only be so many young players on a team and eventually the New Orleans Pelicans have to use some of their considerable draft capital to make a trade.
This would leave the Pelicans dangerously thin at center, and would necessitate them grabbing another big in free agency.
Would the potential of a starting five of Ball, Holiday, Ingram, Markkanen and Zion be enough to tempt the Pelicans?
That team wouldn’t be great defensively, but the offense would almost be unstoppable.
Zion’s destiny is probably as a small-ball center and Markkanen would be a nice compliment.
It’s a lot for the New Orleans Pelicans to think about, but a trade for Markkanen would be a bold move that could put the Pelicans over the top.
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