Nikola Vucevic, Lauri Markkanen, Patrick Williams, Chicago Bulls (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
For the longest time this offseason, the departure of Lauri Markkanen from the Chicago Bulls has felt like a foregone conclusion just waiting to happen. Although the Bulls offered the 7-foot forward the one-year qualifying offer for $9 million, it was never intended to actually be accepted. No, by sending the qualifying offer Markkanen’s way the Bulls ensured he’d enter restricted free agency, where Chicago would reserve the right to match any offer sheet or negotiate a sign-and-trade.
That was, of course, before every other team spent their money elsewhere.