3 players unlikely to return with the Chicago Bulls for the 2021-22 NBA season

#1 Lauri Markkanen

Lauri Markkanen #24 of the Chicago Bulls.

Lauri Markkanen's situation with the Chicago Bulls might be similar to Theis' at this point. Not only could he leave the Chicago Bulls via restricted free agency, but Markkanen could be used by the front office, led by Arturas Karnisovas, in another sign-and-trade scenario that could work for the franchise.

A free agent the Wolves might surprisingly be interested in:“How about Lauri Markkanen?”@JonKrawczynski's new mailbag: https://t.co/hbm7x9Wy5s pic.twitter.com/Og5bevx3Jl

— The Athletic NBA (@TheAthleticNBA) July 16, 2021

Markkanen will be a fifth-year NBA player next season and he has been a good offensive player whenever he's been available for the Chicago Bulls. He put up career-best numbers on offense last year after making 48% of his shots from the field and 40.2% of his three-pointers.

However, Markkanen lost his spot as a starter and averaged a career-low 25.8 minutes per game last year, a demonstration that his role with the Chicago Bulls might've come to an end.

Simonovic could wind up filling the big man shooter role if Lauri Markkanen leaves in free agency next month as expected. https://t.co/lxsQBMhkn1

— Mark Schanowski (@MarkSchanowski) July 13, 2021

In 221 career games, Markkanen averages 15.6 points and 7.1 rebounds per game with 44/36/84 shooting splits. At age 24, he could still explode and become the player the Chicago Bulls expected when they selected him seventh overall in the 2017 NBA Draft. But that might happen with another franchise.

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