The Pelicans have displayed interest in restricted free agent forward Lauri Markkanen, sources tell veteran NBA reporter Marc Stein (Twitter link).
As Stein notes, New Orleans just generated a trade exception worth more than $17MM in the team’s three-way trade that sent Steven Adams and Eric Bledsoe to Memphis. That newly-created exception could be used to accommodate a contract worth more than the mid-level for Markkanen.
The Pelicans and Bulls also haven’t officially completed their Lonzo Ball sign-and-trade deal yet, so it’s possible a Markkanen sign-and-trade could be looped into that agreement. However, that’d be more complicated, and the Ball agreement is currently being investigated by the NBA.
The Bulls are believed to be seeking a first-round pick in order to facilitate a Markkanen sign-and-trade, says Stein. The Pelicans can’t use their trade exception to sign Markkanen to an offer sheet, so they’d need Chicago’s cooperation in order to offer him more than the mid-level.
Meanwhile, Jordan Schultz of Bleacher Report says (via Twitter) that the Hornets, who were rumored earlier in the week to be considering an offer sheet for Markkanen, remain in the hunt as a potential “sleeper.” However, that scenario is difficult to envision.
The Hornets have used up their cap room and would almost certainly have to acquire Markkanen via sign-and-trade, as Schultz tweets. Charlotte doesn’t have a trade exception that would work in such a deal and would therefore have to match salaries.
The only salaries on Charlotte’s books that would really make sense as primary matching pieces, given Markkanen’s salary expectations, are Terry Rozier‘s ($17.9MM) or Mason Plumlee‘s ($9.25MM). Rozier is more valuable to the Hornets than he would be to the Bulls, who just agreed to acquire Ball and Alex Caruso. And Charlotte just traded for Plumlee a few days ago to address the team’s hole at center.
It’s possible the Hornets will find a way to get creative and land Markkanen, perhaps using smaller salaries, but it would be a challenge.
Markkanen, meanwhile, continues to explore his options around the NBA in the hopes of joining a new team. He told a Finnish journalist earlier this week that he’s seeking a “fresh start” after four years in Chicago.
Still 24 with his skillset, this guy could be a steal for any team willing to pay up in the short term
Love to see the Spurs make a play for him
Nvm forgot they got Zach Collins
here’s one:
Sign and trade to Toronto for Siakam
Toronto gets out of that contract while the Bulls maximize this years roster , and put themselves into slight-title contention
Lauri sign 2 years 40mil
Trade Lauri 20mil and Satornasky 10mil/1yr
For Siakam 33mil
Sato was already traded to the Pelicans as part of the Lonzo Ball trade.
Markannen is terrible, he’s a 3/D wing with no defense and rebounding numbers of a perimeter guard not a 7 footer, and he stays “with a deep bruise” as a bulls fan I would love to receive anything in a sign and trade for him
But if I remember correctly he preformed very well a few years back as their #1 scoring option.
Toronto could use the same strategy while they rebuild
Parx, on behalf of the Kings, we would like to offer you Bagley for Lauri straight up
LOL what?? Lauri for Siakam!? You do realize Siakam is worth that contract, and the Raps have no desire to get out from under that deal right? Smh. I wonder if any of you have watched a Raptors game in your life with some of these outrageous Siakam trade ideas
My Pelicans need 3pt shooters in the worst way. I don’t know if it’s Maarkkanen are not but if Grif makes a play for him he better be.
Well your in luck, shooting is literally the only thing this 7 foot tall man can do on the court.
Lauri is a great player for the bottom teams
If he plays for top 8 teams, he should be like current Bejalica.
14 minutes per game
Good thing for him that scoring points is still the ONLY way they decide winners and losers in NBA basketball games. Everything else is really just white noise. You can out-rebound an opponent and still lose. You can out-assist an opponent and still lose. You can out-steal, out-block, or even have a better shooting percentage of an opponent and still lose.
But you will never lose if you out-score an opponent.
That’s correct, D’Antoni.
Comparing me to a 2 time NBA coach of the year is not really the insult you believe it is. But thanks.
David Griffin, the man with no plan…
You know when I realize David Griffin was garbage, the Anthony Davis trade. Yes he got a lot for Davis but when Dell Demps was GM he turned down Magic Johnson’s deal that included all Griffin got plus Kyle Kuzma but in Griffin deal Kuzma wasn’t included. Now he gave up an ascending player in Lonzo Ball for a bag of potatoes and a cup of cheap coffee, plus he gave up assets for very average players meaning he gave Davis a top 5 NBA player up for basically Brandon Ingram. Now don’t get me wrong I really like BI and I like Josh Hart also but for ANTHONY DAVIS it just seem to me David Griffin dealing skills are juvenile at best.
In his defense, it’s not like Davis gave him much bargaining power. When AD said “Lakers or else” there was absolutely no reason for LA to not decrease their offer. In fact, it is really amazing that they still got as much as they did.
Seriously, think about it. Your major complaint right now is that Kyle Kuzma was NOT involved in the deal. Have you seen Kuzma play the past two years? You should consider yourself lucky he wasn’t a Pelican.
Ya I agree kuzma is trash and Lonzo just wasn’t a great fit there even tho he’s trending towards top-20 PG status
I’ll keep pointing this out until something is actually done to fix it, but the Sonics could use a guy like this
isn’t that a former team whos fans didn’t support it and now cry that they deserve a team?
If you want a 7 footer who plays no defense, 20 games a year, only gets rebounds that bounce 20 feet off the rim for 20 million a year then Markkanen is your guy. Bulls are going to have Williams, Simonovic and if health prevails maybe
Aldridge so I would take a six pack just to be rid of him. Bulls new management team is making fast work of eliminating the Gar-Pax failure brigade.
Bulls trying to build a team around a franchise player who is gonna go FA dealing all 1st picks for a no marker deRozan is a risky move also
If you’re talking about Lavine, If I could trade him for at least 2 1st round picks I’d do it. I’d play DeRozan at the 2, Ball at the 1 and Williams at the 3.. Vujevic is the franchise player and the you have White Dosunmu and others for wings. Brown and Green. Sign Vujevic to an extension and next year draft a 2 and move on. Lavine is also hurt half the time.
I love if bulls trade him to celtics for jaylen brown… As bulls fan, i dont hate zach, just like brown game style more than him
Vucevuc is 30 and you can replace home with better centers when he expires, Zach is the franchise player
First of all Lavine will resign with the bulls and more importantly they are NOT dealing all 1sts, they are sending one 1st after 2025, misinformation much
The Bulls aren’t likely to get anything significant in a Lauri S&T, but whichever team thats getting him is going to get a steal right now.
Yes, some of his development troubles come from inuuries, but the vast majority of his issues stemmed from Boylen ruining his confidence and not knowing how to use him.
Donovan was at least able to get Lauri back on track shooting the ball from deep, hitting 40% from three, but he was still really indecisive with the ball, still stood around too often, and it was clear he still wasn’t fully back engaged in the game.
Boylen ruined this young man’s growth, as when he was in he could easily give his team 17-25 any night, with the occasional 25-30 point games, and he was fighting for more rebounds down low previously as well.
He desperately needs a fresh start, and whichever team that gets him will be getting a player with some serious growth still left..
2nd to last paragraph, “when he was *on* he could….”
The bulls font need to deal him to another team, the y can have him play on th QO.
And the Pelicans have already dealt a protected 1st for someone worse the lauri
In terms of fit, I actually think Lauri could end up fitting really well alongside and in rotation with their main core: Zion, Ingram, Valunciunas, Graham, Hayes, Hart, Lewis, Murphy, Alexander-Walker, Boston, Gabriel, Herbert Jones, etc.
I thought Boston went to I think the Clippers in that trade whirlwind or maybe another team but he’s not coming to NOLA.
Boston went to the clippers and Hart is a fa
I’m kind of surprised he’s still a free agent