The Cleveland Cavaliers recently made an offseason splash when they acquired promising forward Lauri Markkanen in a sign-and-trade deal.
Markkanen expressed his excitement about playing for the Cavs in an interview with NBC Sports Chicago.
“I think I fit in well — young core, exciting point guards,” Markkanen said. “I’m looking forward to playing with those big guys in the frontcourt. They’re all young, talented guys. I think we can grow together, and I can’t wait to learn from a player like Kevin Love. Just learn aspects of the game from him and the mentality of the game, how he approaches it. I’m looking forward to that as well.”
At 24 years old, Markkanen still has a potentially bright future ahead of him. He also fits the timeline of Cleveland’s extensive rebuild.
It is unclear yet if the Cavs plan on using the power forward in the starting lineup or as a bench player. But either way, he figures to play tons of minutes because of his ability to stretch the floor at his position. He shot 40.2 percent from beyond the arc last season.
It is also interesting to note that the Finnish player is anticipating to learn under the tutelage of Love.
While the veteran has championship pedigree and was one of the league’s best big men during his prime, his skills have clearly declined in recent years. Furthermore, there is still no certainty if he will be in a Cavs uniform next season.
