Chicago Bulls: Takeaways from Nikola Mirotic trade

4. Reunited and it feels so good

Let’s get one of the smaller storylines out of the way first. In going to the Pelicans, Mirotic will be playing alongside Rajon Rondo once again, which is a huge plus. As you recall, the two were teammates during Rondo’s brief one-year stint in a Bulls uniform last season.

When Rondo came to the defense of the younger players following a loss to the Atlanta Hawks last January, he endeared himself to that group, but none more so than Mirotic.

"‘‘He was one of those guys that every time he talked, it didn’t matter if he had a good day or a bad day, he was always there,” Mirotic told the Chicago Sun-Times. “He understood about sticking together and getting guys on the same page. I really love him for who he is. When [the Bulls] cut him [last summer], I was really disappointed because I wanted him on my team at least another year.”"

Based on those comments, this change of scenery is something that Mirotic will be looking forward to. Not only did he get the security he was looking for in terms of the second year of his contract getting picked up, he will also get another opportunity to play with Rondo – someone he has developed a good relationship with on and off the court.

Let’s also remember that Mirotic will join a squad that is contending for postseason berth and having a guy by the name of Anthony Davis as a teammate isn’t too bad either.