NBA Trade Deadline 2020: 5 young players who need a fresh start

1. New start for the Finnish

Yes, Lauri Markkanen is slated to miss the next 4-6 weeks with something deemed a “pelvic stress reaction.” It’s been an injury-marred campaign for Air Finland. All his minor dings probably added up to the Bulls shelving him so the stress reaction doesn’t graduate into a stress fracture.

However, before getting shut down, Markkanen’s role on the team ran into a crossroads. The Bulls, apparently, want to marginalize him into primarily a spot-up shooter. His frustration bubbled over to the point he aired his grievances to reporters.

His frustration is justified. For a young player — supposedly a focal point of a rebuild — to get relegated to a minimized bailiwick certainly kills confidence, both in yourself and your team. Chicago should be fostering his growth, not putting barriers up as inhibitors.

If the Bulls don’t see Markkanen as a major cornerstone, they can do much worse than a trio of recent first-rounders. Romeo Langford represents an exciting scorer who gets to the cup. Grant Williams was a do-it-all darling of draftniks, who fell due to size and lack of position concerns. Robert Williams is the Time Lord, enough said. Throw in another future first-round pick and that could seal the deal.

In joining the Celtics, Markkanen (once healthy) would get inserted into the starting lineup of an up-and-coming championship contender and used as a primary option with bench units. His age curve and development arc fall in line with their primary players and he would get groomed by Brad Stevens. Surely, Boston would find a better use for him than just making him into the European Kelly Olynyk.