The Cleveland Cavaliers have acquired striker Lauri Markkanen, a restricted free agent for the Chicago Bulls, on a four-year, $ 67 million contract as part of a three-team signing and trading deal, ESPN reported Friday sources.
The Cavaliers send Larry Nance Jr. to the Portland Trail Blazers and a draft pick from the second round of 2023 through the Denver Nuggets in Chicago, sources said.
Portland trades with Derrick Jones Jr. and with a 2022 first-round selection protected by the lottery in Chicago, sources said.
Markkanen, 24, had been looking for a new home as a restricted free agent and arrives with a remodeled Cavaliers lineup that includes No. 3 general Evan Mobley and center Jarrett Allen, who owns a new 100 million contract extension of dollars. The Bulls acquired San Antonio’s DeMar DeRozan this summer in a record and exchange. Markkanen averaged 13.6 points and 5.3 rebounds for the Bulls last season.
Nance is a versatile defender and promises to have a significant impact on the Portland roster determined to improve defensively under new coach Chauncey Billups.
The Bulls reclaim two draft picks for a player they no longer considered part of their future plans. The Blazers ’first-round pick in 2022 is protected by the numbers 1-14 in 2028, when it would become a second-round pick if it weren’t previously aired in Chicago.