Bulls Trade Mavs Target Lauri Markkanen To Cavaliers in Sign and Trade
Remaining in need of reinforcements on their roster, the Dallas Mavericks were rumored to be in connection with former No. 7 overall pick and Chicago Bulls big man, Lauri Markkanen.
On Friday, whatever pursuit the Mavs might have been involved in, ended, with Markkanen reportedly being acquired by the Cleveland Cavaliers on a four-year $67 million deal via a three-team sign and trade, per ESPN.
In return for Markkanen, the Cavaliers will be sending Derrick Jones Jr. to Chicago, as well as sending Larry Nance Jr. to the Portland Trailblazers.
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Chicago will also receive Portland's lottery-protected future first-round pick, as well as a future second-round pick from Cleveland.
The Blazers pick is protected, which is lottery-protected through 2028, becomes a Portland second-round pick if the pick is not conveyed before 2028, per the report.
Markannen, who entered the summer as a restricted free agent, is coming off his fourth season with the Bulls in which he struggled to live up to the production of any of his first three seasons.
In fact, Markkanen averaged a career-low in scoring, rebounding, and blocked shots, averaging 13.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, and just .3 blocks in 51 games, with 26 starts.
On the bright side for Cleveland, the 24-year-old did average career-bests in shooting percentage both from three-point range and overall, hitting 48-percent from the field and 40.2-percent from deep.
With Markkanen now off the market, the Mavs will turn their attention elsewhere, likely to veteran point guard Goran Dragic, who has been deeply connected to the Mavericks in recent weeks, while expressing explicit desire to move on from his current home with the Toronto Raptors.
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