The old guys—like, well, you know who—think of Mel Counts. How about Bill Laimbeer? Brad Lohaus? Jack Sikma? To the evolution of Ryan Anderson and Kristaps Porzingis?
Somewhere in there, and the Bulls hope beyond, may be Lauri Markkanen, the No. 7 selection in Thursday’s NBA draft. He came to the Bulls Thursday as part of the Jimmy Butler trade to the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Bulls also obtained point guard Kris Dunn and shooting guard Zach LaVine, who is out injured now after an ACL tear last February.
“I’m just excited to get to Chicago,” Markkanen said in New York after the selection was confirmed as a trade to the Bulls.