Lauri Markkanen, who will be a restricted free agent this offseason, says he’s not focused on his next contract.
“I haven’t thought about that at all. I let all that kind of stuff happen its own way after the season,” Markkanen told reporters ahead of the Sixers-Bulls game.
“I can’t focus on that. What do we got? Eight games left? Just try and make this play-in spot, and that’s my focus right now. Like I said, I’m going to give it all I have, and I’m not thinking about the future right now. I can’t control that, so I don’t know.’’
Markkanen has had his ups and downs this season in Chicago. He got COVID at the beginning of the season and then once he returned and got into a groove, he got injured. At the deadline, the Bulls traded for Nikola Vucevic pushing him to the bench and forcing him to play a little bit out of position at small forward. Still, the former No. 7 overall pick, who arrived in Chicago via the Jimmy Butler deal, is pushing forward.
“Every year you have your good moments and you have your bad stuff happening. I think I’ve been trying to learn as much as I can, and learn new stuff on the fly.”
