3-Team Trade Has Laurie Markkanen Heading to Cleveland Cavaliers

 

Restricted free agent Laurie Markkanen has finally found a home, as the Cleveland Cavaliers are signing him to a 4-year, $67 million dollar contract, as part of a three-way sign-and-trade deal with the Chicago Bulls and Portland Trail Blazers. 

Cavs power forward Larry Nance Jr. heads to Portland, while the Bulls receive Derrick Jones Jr. and draft picks from the Cavs and Blazers.

ESPN Sources: Cleveland’s acquiring Chicago’s Lauri Markkanen in three-way sign and trade with Portland. Bulls get Derrick Jones Jr., POR’s lottery protected future 1st and Cavs’ future second-rounder. POR gets Larry Nance Jr. https://t.co/CgN3mhaLHY

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) August 27, 2021

The Portland pick heading to Chicago is a lottery-protected future 1st rounder, while the Cleveland pick is a future 2nd rounder. 

Rumors earlier this week had the Cavs in hot pursuit of some big-time perimeter scoring help, and using Nance as trade bait. Once the opportunity to sign Markkanen became clear, they pivoted from their earlier plans to pursue one of the Grizzlies' excess wing men (Dillon Brooks or Kyle Anderson). 

As for Portland, a big man like Nance fills a void for them, supplying some much-needed defense up-front, while the Bulls get that 1st rounder they were looking for as a minimum return for cooperating on a sign-and-trade for Markkanen. 

Markkanen's minutes went down in Chicago this past season, and the restricted free agent was determined to get a fresh start, somewhere where he could play a major role. 

Cleveland is certainly that place. 

Photo Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports