After spending his first four NBA seasons with the Chicago Bulls, Lauri Markkanen is entering a new chapter in his career. This offseason, the big man was heavily linked with a move away from the Bulls, and now he’s headed to Cleveland to join the Cavaliers.
The Finnish power forward/center is reportedly joining the 2016 NBA champions via sign-and-trade. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, Markkanen is inking a four-year, $67 million deal with the Cavaliers.
Cleveland is acquiring Chicago restricted free agent F Lauri Markkanen on a four-year, $67M deal in a sign-and-trade, sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) August 27, 2021
Woj adds that the trade also involves the Portland Trail Blazers. The Bulls get Derrick Jones Jr., Portland’s lottery-protected future 1st and Cavs’ future second-rounder. The Trail Blazers get Larry Nance Jr.
After a couple of months full of speculation, with plenty of teams linked with the Finnish player, Markkanen is now going to Cleveland.
ESPN Sources: Cleveland’s acquiring Chicago’s Lauri Markkanen in three-way sign and trade with Portland. Bulls get Derrick Jones Jr., POR’s lottery protected future 1st and Cavs’ future second-rounder. POR gets Larry Nance Jr. https://t.co/CgN3mhaLHY
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) August 27, 2021
Portland sends lottery protected 2022 pick to Bulls; Cavs send a 2023 second-round pick via Denver to Chicago, per sources.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) August 27, 2021
It’s unclear how this move will work for them. They already have Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen on the roster. Recent rumors suggest they’re planning on getting rid of Kevin Love, so adding another big man doesn’t make much sense.
Perhaps this won’t be Lauri’s last stop this summer, but time will tell how things play out for the Cavs.
Meanwhile, the Bulls keep assembling an excellent team to compete for a playoff spot next season. The Blazers landed a good player in Larry Nance Jr., but that’s not good enough to compete for the championship.
