Lauri Markkanen will become a restricted free agent this summer after the Chicago Bulls extended him a qualifying offer, sources told The Athletic's Shams Charania.
Since being selected seventh overall out of Arizona in 2017, Markkanen has averaged 15.6 points and 7.1 rebounds per game with 36.6% shooting from beyond the 3-point arc.
However, concerns about the Finnish power forward's long-term fit with the Bulls have come to the forefront, particularly after they acquired All-Star center Nikola Vucevic at this year's trade deadline. In the 54 minutes Markkanen shared the court with Vucevic and Zach LaVine down the stretch this season, Chicago was outscored by 15.8 points per 100 possessions.
Still, the Bulls will maintain the right to match any offer sheet Markkanen signs with another team once deals can officially be inked starting Aug. 6 at 12:01 p.m. ET.
