NBA Rumors: Clippers' Paul George backup plan, Markkanen sleeper, Bulls still selling

The first night of NBA Free Agency was as chaotic as expected. Paul George agreed to move across the country to team up with Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey in Philadelphia. Klay Thompson is a Dallas Maverick. And, somehow, the NBA let OKC add Isaiah Hartenstein (and Alex Caruso) without sacrificing a single positive rotation piece or draft pick.

There's a lot happening these days. And, surprise, more will happen in the days to come. There are plenty of juicy NBA rumors to fuel the beginning of your work week. Here are a few worth keeping tabs on.

NBA Rumors: Bulls still trying to salary dump Zach LaVine and Lonzo Ball

The Chicago Bulls' offseason has been slow-moving since the Alex Caruso trade. Regardless of your opinion on Josh Giddey, it's clear the Bulls want to move in a new direction. After years of persistent mediocrity, the front office (and, more importantly, ownership) has had enough. DeMar DeRozan's future hangs in the balance. We wouldn't be hearing so much Lakers buzz if the Bulls were going to hand him a major long-term deal.

A natural next step for Chicago's rebuild is to offload Zach LaVine and Lonzo Ball, two expensive guards who don't have a place on a team built around Coby White and the SLOB Wizard. According to Bleacher Report's Chris Haynes, Chicago is still working to trade LaVine and Lonzo — an increasingly difficult task, it seems.

ESPN's Bobby Marks reported that Chicago has been unable to find a suitor for LaVine despite their willingness to attach a first-round pick to the three years and roughly $138 million remaining on his contract. The Warriors allegedly received such an offer in exchange for Chris Paul and Andrew Wiggins, but declined. If Golden State isn't willing to trade Wiggins' hefty salary and CP3's expiring $30 million to take a flier on LaVine, that is a damning statement on his value in league circles.

Frankly, LaVine is far better than his current reputation would suggest. That contract is a lot, but it's not ungodly considering the NBA's rising cap ceiling. He's still 29 years old with explosive athleticism and a silky jump shot. Injury concerns are valid, but LaVine has played at least 58 games in five of the last six years. It's not like he's never available; last season was a slight aberration.

As for Lonzo, he's due another $21.4 million this season before hitting free agency. His expiring contract shouldn't be too hard to move, especially with his return on the docket. If he's actually healthy, there's a path to productive minutes from the 26-year-old. It's best to temper expectations after two years on the bench with chronic knee ailments, but hey, ultra-smart, 3-and-D guards with playmaking chops are en vogue.

NBA Rumors: Timberwolves cited as shocking Lauri Markkanen suitor

The Utah Jazz are fielding trade calls for Lauri Markkanen, per Yahoo's Jake Fischer. While the Jazz have expressed a desire to extend Markkanen once he's eligible in a couple months, Utah is at an organizational crossroads. Markkanen is entering the final year of his contract and it's difficult to see a path to adding serious pieces around the Finnish 7-footer in the near future.

As such, the Jazz could opt to take the Brooklyn-Mikal Bridges route — only Utah is equipped with its own draft picks, not to mention a haul of extra future picks from the Dononvan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert trades. Among the teams connected to Markkanen are Golden State, San Antonio, and Sacramento. But, according to Fischer, there's a sleeper lurking in the shadows. One that could cause some confusion among fans.

The Minnesota Timberwolves have "shown interest" in Markkanen, with Tim Connelly ever the aggressive deal-maker. Not long after arriving in Minneapolis, Connelly engineered the Gobert trade (with Utah). A week ago, he swapped a future first-round pick and a pick swap for the No. 8 pick in the NBA Draft, landing bubbly Kentucky point guard Rob Dillingham.

A lot of the reaction to this report has been "what can the Wolves offer???" Minnesota liquidated all its available picks (at the time) for Gobert, then quickly moved their 2031 pick when it became movable to acquire Dillingham. Markkanen is surely going to cost (several) picks in a trade. A lot of 'em.

There's really only one logical path to Markkanen landing in Minnesota. The Wolves would need to include Karl-Anthony Towns in the outgoing package. That is a tough sell, as Markkanen is only a year younger and Towns' offers more versatile scoring and playmaking in the frontcourt. But, there's a case to be made there. Minnesota could also try to fashion a deal around Jaden McDaniels, but that doesn't feel like enough. Even if Dillingham and all of Minnesota's spare youth is tossed into the deal.

We cannot count out of the Wolves, though. Where there's a will, there's a way.

NBA Rumors: Clippers could replace Paul George with DeMar DeRozan

Paul George officially left the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday night, bolting for the Philadelphia 76ers on a four-year, $212 million contract. It's difficult to excuse the Clippers' unwillingness to spend here, but the new CBA is scary for a lot of teams. Now, LA needs to pivot quickly to build a competitive team around Kawhi Leonard and James Harden.

DeMar DeRozan is the clear best-case scenario. He shouldn't cost nearly as much as George long term and he's another LA native who should be drawn to the opportunity to play at home. There has been a lot of chatter about DeRozan joining the Lakers via sign-and-trade, but before free agency even started, Marc Stein made mention of the Clippers as a viable destination — assuming PG left.

"Could DeRozan emerge as the Clippers' replacement for George if they ultimately need one? He obviously doesn't play the same 3-and-D game as George, but he's another highly productive Southern Californian who has been more durable. DeRozan, 34, has missed only 17 games combined in his three seasons as a Bull."

Well, George did leave. And now, the Clippers could use another shot-creating wing to make the offense hum.

The market for DeRozan appears to be hovering in the $15-20 million range, which would qualify as a steal despite all his well-documented shortcomings. DeRozan isn't the most natural fit with the Clippers' core, but he's a gifted scorer who has made serious strides with his playmaking in recent years. It's always beneficial to have multiple advantage-creators on the floor at once.

DeRozan can help prop up the second unit when Kawhi sits. Defensive concerns are valid, especially when paired with Harden on the perimeter, but Los Angeles can surround him with the likes of Leonard, Ivica Zubac, and Terance Mann. DeRozan hasn't been on a winner in a long time, but he was once the centerpiece of a perennial postseason contender in Toronto. He can play high-level, winning basketball.