Lauri Markkanen proved to be a huge revelation for the young Chicago Bulls team last season. Probably the most overlooked piece in the trade that sent Jimmy Butler to the Minnesota Timberwolves, the seven-footer displayed a combination of finesse and toughness as he became a key cog for the Bulls.

Still, it remains to be seen how Markkanen's progress will grow now that he is surrounded by ball dominant players like Zach LaVine and Jabari Parker.

The Bulls signed Lavine and Parker to hefty deals this summer. While both were plagued by injuries last season, they are expected to suit up for the young Bulls team in full health. With that said, it will be of no surprise if they take most of the offensive workload under coach Fred Hoiberg's system. If Markkanen becomes the third option, it will only dampen his progress.

The Bulls did not expect Markkanen to be this good. They weren't even sure how he will fare behind forwards who play the same position like Nikola Mirotic and Bobby Portis. The Bulls could have brought him along gradually, letting him get used to the daily grind of being an NBA player.

But Portis and Mirotic had a physical altercation even before last season began, causing Mirotic to sustain injuries to his face, forcing the Bulls to suspend Portis for several games. While that proved to be a low point for the team, the spotlight turned its bright gaze on the young rookie, and Markkanen basked in it.

He would go on to have a franchise record in 3-point shots made while becoming the team's go-to-scorer, per Sean Williams of The Loop Sports.

“One silver lining from this season was Lauri Markkanen and he capped off a fantastic rookie campaign by breaking a franchise record. Lauri became the Bulls franchise leader in three-pointers made for a rookie when he hit his 145th trey during the final game of the season.”

There's more.

“On top of being the rookie franchise leader in three-pointers made, Markkanen became the fastest player in NBA history to make 100 three-pointers in a season. He completed this feat in 41 games, reaching this milestone much quicker than players like Stephen Curry, Ray Allen, Reggie Miller, and Dirk Nowitzki.”

“This would not be the last accomplishment of Lauri’s rookie campaign. Lauri Markkanen also became the fourth rookie in Bulls history to score at least 1,000 points and grab 500 rebounds. He put himself in elite company as Michael Jordan was one of the other rookies to accomplish this. The other two include Elton Brand and Dave Greenwood. This was the first time in 18 years that a Bulls rookie was able to reach these numbers.”

Markkanen has since earned the Bulls front office's trust and this was obviously the reason why the team traded Mirotic to the New Orleans Pelicans midway through the season. This move spells out a direct conclusion: the Bulls have set their sights on Markkanen being the team's future centerpiece and that won't change even with Parker coming to town.

With the Bulls' logjam at the four and five spots, Parker is expected to play the bulk of his minutes at the small forward position. His natural style of game could be traced to having the ball in his hands often, but Parker has already gotten used to playing second fiddle in his time in Milwaukee as the team had the likes of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Eric Bledsoe, and Khris Middleton carrying the offensive load for the team. When he came back from his second ACL injury last season, Parker just shot an average of 10 shots per game, lower than Markkanen 13.

While Lavine will be the primary focus of the offense, Markkanen could potentially become the Bulls' best player next season. He is already a solid rebounder and has shown flashes of his abilities on the defensive end.

Markkanen still needs to hit the weight room more often so he will have the strength to punish defenders at the post and effectively defend against strong post-up big men.

Ultimately, the Bulls should make sure to give the young big man his touches on offense. Chicago is still a long shot from being a serious contender in the East, and focusing on Markkanen growth would be beneficial for the team moving forward.