2017 NBA free agency grades: Chicago Bulls re-sign Nikola Mirotic
The Chicago Bulls have re-signed restricted free agent Nikola Mirotic just in time for training camp.
A day before training camp opened, the Chicago Bulls and restricted free agent Nikola Mirotic finally made a deal. Shams Charania of The Vertical reported on Sept. 24 that the two sides agreed to a two-year, $27 million contract.
According to Spotrac, the first year of the deal is worth almost $13 million. Mirotic will be able to block any trade he’s involved in this season. The second year of the deal is a team option worth $14.0 million. The Bulls put forth a one-year, $7.2 million qualifying offer at the beginning of this summer. Mirotic had until Oct. 1 to sign it, but instead he was able to broker this deal.
Mirotic averaged 10.6 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game last season. He shot a career-best 41.3 percent from the field, going 34.2 percent from 3-point range and career-high 52.0 percent from inside the arc. His ability to stretch the floor was well on display last season: he unleashed a career-high 5.4 three-point attempts per game. That shooting led to some big nights.
Mirotic produced eight double-doubles and scored 20 or more points eight times. He hit his season-high of 28 points three times. One instance — a Mar. 22 win over the Detroit Pistons — saw him go 12-for-15 on field goals.
The next two came less than a week later in back-to-back games: a Mar. 26 win at the Milwaukee Bucks and a Mar. 30 win against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Mirotic knocked down six 3-pointers in each matchup. He also grabbed 10 rebounds in the Cavaliers game to complete a double-double.
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Mirotic also comported himself well defensively. According to ESPN, his 1.31 defensive plus-minus was 25th-best out of 81 power forwards.
However, one of Mirotic’s biggest flaws is his inconsistency. While he had big scoring nights, Mirotic ended 36 of his 70 games with single-digit scores. He was a healthy scratch for multiple stretches throughout the season due to his up-and-down nature. Confidence has been an issue for Mirotic, and he can really get down when he struggles on the floor.
Mirotic was able to right the ship late last season. He picked up the starting power forward spot when Taj Gibson was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder and Bobby Portis struggled in the role. Mirotic started the final 13 games of the regular season and the entire six-game first round series against the Boston Celtics.
He averaged 15.4 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game in those last 13 games, shooting 46.0 percent from three. However, he only averaged 8.7 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.5 assists in the playoffs, shooting 34.0 percent from the field and 28.6 percent from three.
Heading into the new season, he will likely continue to start at power forward. Now, however, he will have to worry about Finnish rookie Lauri Markkanen. Markkanen is also a stretch big, and he wowed fans and analysts with his performance at the FIBA European Championship. Mirotic will have to consistently produce in order to stave off Markkanen or Portis moving in on his starting role.
The Chicago Bulls are beginning a new era and Nikola Mirotic joins them with his new deal. Mirotic is a talented scorer that can rebound and defend well. However, his confidence tends to heavily affect how well he plays on the floor. We’ll see if he can be a more consistent presence for the team in 2017-18.
Next: 2017 NBA free agency tracker - Grades for every deal so far
Grade: C+