Nikola Mirotic trade rumors: 3 potential deals for Chicago Bulls
By Jason Elbaum
1. Minnesota Timberwolves
When the story came out about what happened at Bulls practice and that Mirotic was seeking a trade, there is no doubt that this caught the attention of former Bulls coach and current Minnesota Timberwolves coach Tom Thibodeau. He was coaching the Bulls when Chicago first signed Mirotic in 2014.
A reunion between the two makes sense not just for nostalgic reasons, but the Timberwolves are in need of 3-point shooters. The team ranks second to last with 8.2 made 3-pointers per game, so Mirotic’s 48.2 percent career 3-point percentage would be a much-needed jolt of shooting for the team.
In return, the Bulls would receive Cole Aldrich and shooting guard Shabazz Muhammad, who has struggled to find his rhythm in limited minutes this season. However, Muhammad would receive much more playing time in Chicago and thus a chance to rediscover the form that made him the 14th overall pick in 2013.
To match salary, the Timberwolves would also have to send Aldrich. The Bulls’ frontcourt is already crowded, but Minnesota can afford to send their rarely used third-string center and Chicago could always try to deal him elsewhere.
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This is a win-win situation because Minnesota is receiving an asset that can certainly help their team, and the Bulls receive a young player with many years of basketball left.