Chicago Bulls Report: Nikola Mirotic out indefinitely, Bobby Portis suspended

Chicago Bulls forward Nikola Mirotic is out indefinitely following an altercation with teammate Bobby Portis.

After years of being a perennial playoff team, the Chicago Bulls opted to enter into a full-scale rebuild. With a roster full of youth and inexperience (12 players with three year or less of NBA experience), expectations aren’t very high for a ball club that doesn’t have a ton of talent.

One of the reasons the organization embraced starting from square one was the desire to see the younger players on the roster take the next step in their careers. And with the eagerness of those players to prove they belong, it was expected to create a healthy competition and favorable culture going into the season.

"“We understand better than anyone what we’re about to embark on,” John Paxson told the Chicago Sun Times. “And that’s why I keep saying the most important thing for us is the culture we have in this building. It’s very hard to define sometimes, but you know it when you see it’s positive. And it’s positive right now.’’"

Well, it appears the culture Paxson spoke about may not be as positive as previously advertised.

In fact, as first reported by The Vertical’s Shams Charania, an altercation took place between Nikola Mirotic and Bobby Portis — two players who were vying for the starting power forward slot.

Although the notion of players getting heated during competition is nothing new in any sport, this wasn’t your everyday exchange of pleasantries among teammates. According to CSN Chicago’s Vincent Goodwill, following a shoving match that took place between the two players, the final sequence involved Mirotic lunging at Portis and Portis responded by punching Mirotic in the face.

Mirotic was hospitalized and eventually released, but suffered multiple broken bones in his face and is expected to be out indefinitely. After what can be described as inconsistent play during his first three NBA seasons, Mirotic was determined to prove to himself and his critics that he was going to be a different player in Year 4.

The Bulls obviously believed this to be true, as the two sides agreed to a two-year deal worth $27 million during the summer, with a team option for the second year. While Mirotic outplayed Portis during training camp, it appears the aspiring sharpshooter will be on the shelf for the foreseeable future.

Meanwhile, as far as Portis is concerned, he didn’t do himself any favors in this latest incident. Yes, his desire to be in the starting lineup is understandable. After all, this should be the goal for every player coming off the bench.

However, there’s a major difference between having a little competitive fire and physically assaulting a teammate. It’s unknown what specifically triggered the altercation, but Portis losing his temper will cost him more than just the starting job.

He has already been ruled out of the season opener against the Toronto Raptors, and with Mirotic being out indefinitely after suffering a concussion and multiple broken bones, Portis will miss significant time with a suspension as well.

What does this mean for the Bulls?

For starters, the team will be down two more rotational players over an incident that could have been prevented. Secondly, rookie Lauri Markkanen will more than likely get the starting nod at the 4-spot.

Following an unimpressive debut in which he scored four points on 1-for-9 shooting (0-for-6 from 3-point range), the rookie forward scored 18 points against the Cleveland Cavaliers and 13 points against the Raptors to close out the preseason.

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From an organizational standpoint, in a season that was supposed to be about guys playing hard for one another, it will be interesting to see how the front office and coaching staff handle this volatile situation between Mirotic and Portis going forward.