CHICAGO _ The Bulls made an expected move to keep key parts of their young core under contract for the 2020-21 season by exercising options on Lauri Markkanen, Wendell Carter Jr. and Chandler Hutchison, the team announced Monday.
With an Oct. 31 deadline approaching, the Bulls picked up the fourth-year option on Markkanen for $6,731,508, according to Spotrac, and third-year options on Carter ($5,448,840) and Hutchison ($2,443,440).
The Bulls acquired the rights to Markkanen, the No. 7 pick in 2017, in a draft-night trade with the Timberwolves. They drafted Carter with the seventh pick and Hutchison with the 22nd pick in 2018.
Those pieces are now secured for the next two seasons along with Zach LaVine, whose $78 million offer sheet that the Bulls matched a year ago runs through 2021-22; new starting point guard Tomas Satoransky, whom the Bulls gave a three-year, $30 million contract this summer via a sign-and-trade with the Wizards; and guard Coby White, the seventh pick in this year's draft, who showed promise in the preseason _ including a 29-point performance in the last game. Veteran forward Otto Porter Jr. has a $28.5 million player option for 2020-21.
As the 2019-20 season opens Wednesday night in Charlotte, N.C., against the Hornets, the nucleus of Markkanen, 22, LaVine, 24, and Porter, 26, is expected to carry much of the scoring load. The Bulls need Carter, 20, to be a defensive presence in the middle, though coaches will ask Markkanen to play more center as well.
Executive vice president John Paxson, general manager Gar Forman and coach Jim Boylen said on media day Sept. 30 they have challenged LaVine and Markkanen to step up on offense and defense this season.
"It becomes about winning now and making a difference in that part of the game," Paxson said. "Assuming more leadership."
Boylen wants to see Markkanen become a more consistent rebounder and defender.
"The (power forward) position in our league is basically a wing now, and you've got to be able to guard," Boylen said in September. "I challenge him with it every day. Every day he walks out of that training room, I challenge him: 'Who are you going to guard today?' And I'm confident he will."
