CHICAGO: The Chicago Bulls said Wednesday they have signed Finnish forward Lauri Markkanen, the seventh overall selection in last month’s NBA draft.
Markkanen was drafted by the Minnesota Timberwolves, but the rights to sign him were acquired by the Bulls in the trade that brought Kris Dunn and Zach LaVine to Chicago in exchange for Jimmy Butler.
The Bulls did not disclose the terms of the contract.
Markkanen played one season at the University of Arizona.
He averaged 15.2 points and 7.2 rebounds while shooting 49.2 percent from the field and 42.3 percent from 3-point range. The Bulls will be able to get a better look at him when they open the defense of their Summer League title in Las Vegas.
“I know there’s work to do, like always,” Markkanen said at an introductory press conference. “I’m the type of person who’s going to be in the gym and I’m going to work on (defense). I know I’m going to get better. I’m pretty confident that it’s going to happen.”
Meanwhile, guard Nick Young, a free agent since declining a player option with the Los Angeles Lakers, is headed to the NBA champion Golden State Warriors.
“Congratulations to @NickswagyPYoung on your new contract with the @warriors! We are so happy for you!” a tweet from Priority Sports, the agency that represents Young, said Wednesday.
Young, 32, was the 16th overall selection in the 2007 NBA draft. He spent the past four seasons with the Lakers, and averaged 13.2 points in 60 games last season.
That included connecting on more than 40 percent of his shots from three-point range. His addition adds depth to the talent-laden Warriors, who have won two of the past three NBA titles.
ESPN reported that Young would make $5.2 million for the one-year deal, slightly less than the $5.7 million he would have received from the Lakers.
Bulls sign first-round pick Markkanen
Bulls sign first-round pick Markkanen
Detry, LIV Golf veteran Uihlein share first-round lead in Riyadh
- Detry, the newest full-time member of 4Aces GC, shot a bogey-free 7-under 65 under the lights at Riyadh Golf Club
RIYADH: Thomas Detry admitted feeling “a bit nervous” entering his LIV Golf debut on Wednesday.
So did Elvis Smylie, another of the league’s newcomers, but their opening-round performances under the lights at Riyadh Golf Club showed they are both ready to make some serious noise this season.
Detry, the newest full-time member of 4Aces GC, shot a bogey-free seven-under 65 to grab a share of the ROSHN Group LIV Golf Riyadh lead with LIV Golf veteran Peter Uihlein of RangeGoats GC.
Smylie, the 23-year-old rising star who joined the all-Australian Ripper GC, carded a 66 that left him in solo third. The two were among 10 players — eight full-timers and two reserves — playing their first-ever LIV Golf rounds.
Byeong Hun An, the new captain of Korean Golf Club, also sparkled in his debut, shooting 67 to join a group of six players tied for fourth. HyFlyers GC’s Michael La Sasso shot 69 in his pro debut as the league’s youngest player at age 21.
Torque GC grabbed the team lead at 15 under, with the all-South African Southern Guards GC two shots behind. Defending Riyadh champions and reigning LIV Golf Team Champions Legion XIII are in solo third at 11 under.
Detry and Smylie each hit 10 fairways, tying for best in the field, while Detry also was tied for the lead in greens in regulation, hitting 17 of 18. He prepared for playing at night by practicing under the lights with his coach in Abu Dhabi.
“First day on the job, so a little bit of a change for me, so a bit nervous,” said the Belgian, whose most recent win was in February last year on the PGA Tour. “I drove it so well out there, it made my job pretty easy.”
Smylie suffered a bogey on his second hole before finding his rhythm. Five of his seven birdies came on par fours, tying new Smash GC Captain Talor Gooch for most by any other player on Wednesday.
“I think there were a little bit of nerves and excitement, but I think I showed what I’m capable of today, or tonight, I should say,” Smylie said.
While Detry and Smylie were making their first LIV Golf starts, Uihlein was embarking on start number 51 as one of eight original players who have started every tournament since LIV Golf debuted in London in 2022.
He remains in search of his first LIV Golf win, although he won two International Series events on the Asian Tour in 2024. Those were each 72-hole tournaments, and Uihlein hopes LIV Golf’s format switch from 54 holes to 72 starting this season will prove beneficial to him.
“I’m not scared of a blowup every now and then on a hole in particular, so now I have more holes to make it up,” Uihlein said. “I think it’s going to benefit me long-term, which is nice.”
Gooch is among the group lurking at five under. He has won four individual titles and the 2023 season-long Individual Championship, all in the previous 54-hole format. He and the other veteran LIV Golf players have had to adjust their mindset.
“Definitely has a totally different vibe,” Gooch said.
“Only 18 more holes, it’s not that vastly different. But even on the range when we were about to go, I was giving everybody a little fist bump and said, ‘Let’s go get it,’ and Harold (Varner III, his new Smash teammate) said, ‘Hey, don’t come out the gate sprinting. It’s not a sprint anymore.’”
It remains serious business, though, especially with a bevy of newcomers in the expanded 57-player field determined to make a quick impression even while getting used to LIV Golf’s energetic tournament days.
“I think even with the concerts and the entertainment outside of the golf, that’s something that I’m really enjoying,” Smylie said. “I feel like I’m really thriving in an environment like that, and it’s great to start my LIV career here in Riyadh.”
