The latest news about Lauri Markkanen has fans of every NBA team trying to figure out how to acquire him. Sacramento Kings fans are no different.
Despite the NBA’s hiatus, there has been plenty of news regarding the Chicago Bulls over the last week. The latest information that has come out of the Windy City is in regards to Lauri Markkanen, which should perk up the ears of Sacramento Kings fans.
Markkanen’s name has been on the tips of people’s tongues on Kings Twitter for some time, and with good reason. Sacramento has tried (and failed) to find a player who can be a legit floor spacer and open up the offense, and Markkanen certainly fits the mold.
Unfortunately for the Bulls, Markkanen suffered a regression this last season and saw his numbers dip across the board. This has undoubtedly caused his trade value to drop far lower than what it was this time last year, and what the Bulls might be able to get in return is unknown.
But one potential trade idea that involves the Kings could be thrown out the window for a couple of reasons.
I personally love the idea of a swap for Markkanen that somehow includes Buddy Hield. There is plenty of reason to believe that Hield will be dealt during the coming offseason, and the Kings could be willing to field calls from the Bulls regarding a potential deal.
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It is likely that the Kings could get better value in exchange for Hield elsewhere. Markkanen has high upside but has yet to really prove anything in his short NBA career. But would the Bulls have any interest in Hield, anways? They would be getting a proven commodity who is at the peak of his career and can provide an instant boost to pretty much any team. That might be just the problem, however.
Hield is good right now. Are the Bulls? No. Not even close. So where will Buddy Hield be in his career when the Chicago Is ready to compete? Will he be into his 30s and beginning to decline? We know that shooters tend to age well, so Hield might last longer than we all think. But the timeline issue for the Bulls is certainly something that they will have to think about.
The salaries wouldn’t match, either. Hield’s extension kicks in next season and Markkanen will still be on his rookie contract. A one for one swap is out of the window on this trade.
There are other options as well, including ones we have touched on in other articles. Most of them include additional pieces to make the trade make sense for both teams, which is something that could very well be necessary if the Bulls aren’t as high on Hield as we hope.
The situation in Chicago will be one to monitor, and the Kings front office should have their phones ready when the time comes.