This is complete speculation on my part as opposed to something I’ve heard is a real possibility, but my favorite potential deal out on the market right now is something centered around Lauri Markkanen and the No. 4 pick. With Wendell Carter in Chicago as the team’s center of the future, Markkanen’s place is a bit more precarious despite his terrific production in his first two seasons. His best defensive position in the modern NBA is almost certainly at center next to a rim-protecting 4. That possibility doesn’t really exist in Chicago right now. By using Markkanen, the Bulls could get the high-upside, offensively-creative lead guard they need in Garland.
And in New Orleans, Markkanen is about as strong a fit as you could imagine next to Zion. Offensively, he’d shore up the team’s biggest weakness following this deal: perimeter shooting, giving Williamson more room to operate in the half-court. Markkanen is one of the few centers in the league that you can legit run off of off-ball screens in actions to get clean looks, and that sense of gravity would really help open things up. Then on the other end, competitive, high-end defensive guards in Jrue Holiday and Lonzo Ball would make Markkanen’s life a bit easier on the perimeter. Inside, it’s hard to imagine a scenario that helps him more than putting him next to Zion. In a world where fake trades will abound over the next few days, that’s a really fun one.
