3 Most Likely Trade Destinations for Lauri Markkanen

The NBA Trade Deadline is quickly approaching this Thursday, and there are plenty of names that could potentially be on the move. One of them is Bulls forward Lauri Markkanen.

Let's take a look at three potential landing spots for Markkanen.

Lauri Markkanen Trade Destinations

3. Charlotte Hornets

The Hornets are fighting for an Eastern Conference playoff spot right now, and have shown interest in upgrading their frontcourt. Being mentioned alongside names like John Collins and Myles Turner, the Hornets could look to send Devonte Graham to Chicago in return for Markkanen. They have their long-term answer at point guard in LaMelo Ball and Terry Rozier can handle the duties while Ball sits out with a fractured wrist, making Grahm more expendable.

2. Houston Rockets

While Houston is looking for a first-round pick and a young player in any deal for Victor Oladipo, as the deadline nears they might need to drop that price tag a bit. Markkanen would be a fine return for a player that will almost definitely leave for nothing in free agency. Creating a dynamic frontcourt with Christian Wood and Markkanen could help build a foundation for Houston as it enters a rebuild loaded with draft picks.

1. New Orleans Pelicans

The Pelicans have underperformed this year. Expected to be a team on the rise, they are currently out of the Western Conference playoff picture. Lonzo Ball has been a name consistently in trade rumors and the Bulls are in dire need of a true point guard. A deal built around these two could be great for both teams as New Orleans is knowingly looking for a solid young player in return for Ball, and Markkanen fits that bill.

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David Kaestle is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, David also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username davekaestle. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.