Chicago Bulls: Takeaways from Nikola Mirotic trade

The Chicago Bulls traded Nikola Mirotic and a second round pick to the New Orleans Pelicans in exchange for three players and a protected first round pick. Here are a few takeaways from this move.

The Chicago Bulls didn’t exactly start the 2017-18 campaign on the right foot. Thanks to a preseason practice altercation between Nikola Mirotic and Bobby Portis, the team was down two of its rotational players for a total of 31 games.

As a result, the Bulls posted just three wins through their first 23 games. However, when Mirotic returned to the lineup, things began to change.

The Bulls became the only team in NBA history to win at least five consecutive games on the heels of a 10-game losing streak.

This was quite the accomplishment for a team that was expected to finish with one of — if not the — worst records in the league.

Ironically, Mirotic – the guy who sat out 23 games due to a concussion and multiple facial fractures — had a lot to do with the team’s success during that unlikely winning streak and it should not be overlooked that the Bulls have gone 15-14 since that abysmal start.

But even though Mirotic was playing the best basketball of his career since arriving in the Windy City prior to the start of the 2014-15 season, he expressed a desire to be traded shortly after the altercation with Portis and he finally got his wish.

As reported by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Bulls parted ways with their fourth-year forward, sending Mirotic and a second round pick to the New Orleans Pelicans in exchange for Omer Asik, a lightly-protected first-round pick along with Tony Allen and Jameer Nelson—the former of which will be waived.

The Bulls will also be able to swap second round picks in 2021.

So now that the dust has settled and the Mirotic experiment has officially come to an end, here’s a look at the notable takeaways from this move.

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.

3. Bobby Portis ready to move on

It is no secret that Bobby Portis wanted to be considered for the starting power forward spot coming into the season. However, despite Mirotic spending more time in the weight room than with his teammates, he was given the nod.

This couldn’t have sat well with Portis and he probably felt he got the short end of the stick. Bearing this in mind, it wasn’t too surprising when the news broke about the two players getting into that altercation.

Obviously, Portis was wrong for throwing the punch that landed Mirotic in the hospital, potentially altering the course of his season. To his credit, Portis offered an apology a couple of days after the incident transpired, but Mirotic and his representatives were not receptive and they requested a trade.

In the eyes of some people, Portis could be the scapegoat, considering his role in the exchange. But if you thought Portis was going to blame himself for Mirotic wanting to be elsewhere, well, let’s just say he wasn’t ready to go that far.

"“We tried to be professional, make things work on the court — we had great chemistry playing the high-low game,” Portis told the Chicago Tribune. “Off the court, we never talked. We played cards [on the plane] one time. It was kind of awkward, so after that we didn’t play anymore.”"

Now that Mirotic is suiting up with another team, Portis will have ample opportunity to earn a more prominent role within the rotation and being that he’s already posting career averages, that trend will more than likely continue during the second half of the season.

2. Younger players to see more playing time

During the 2016-17 campaign, there were a couple of players who became an integral part of the team’s rotation. One of the players in question was Cristiano Felicio.

The Bulls were so impressed by his level of play that they decided to sign him to a four-year deal worth $32 million. Unfortunately for both sides, Felicio hasn’t played particularly well this season and has been used sparingly to the tune of just 12.8 minutes per contest.

Another player who seemed to come out of nowhere last season was Paul Zipser, who averaged five points per contest on 39.8 percent shooting and 33.3 percent from 3-point range. Much like Felicio, Zipser hasn’t seen a ton of playing time either even though he was inserted into the lineup at the beginning of the season.

With Mirotic out of the equation, this will open the door for some of the younger players to prove they belong.

"“From this point on, I think you’ll see Paul Zipser will get an opportunity to play more. Cris Felicio will play more,” John Paxson told the Chicago Tribune. “When you look at where we’re at in the season, the record that we have, we have to continue to find out about our young players. “It’s our job to evaluate what they are and who fits into our future. The only way you do that is by seeing them out on the court.”"

Paxson went on to say that even Cameron Payne — who has had multiple foot injuries — will get a look once he returns after the All-Star break. Barring some kind of miracle, though, it is difficult to foresee a scenario where Payne plays a significant amount of minutes going forward.

(Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

1. The tank is officially back on

After trading Jimmy Butler, and parting ways with both Rondo and Dwyane Wade, John Paxson knew the chances of this new-look Bulls squad being good were slim and none. With that being said, he advised that the team would not be judged on wins and losses, but rather developing a culture in which the players on the roster go out and give an all-out effort each night they stepped on the court, even if the record didn’t always reflect that effort.

Following the improbable seven-game winning streak, the Bulls have dropped 14 of their last 22 games. Furthermore, they are in the midst of a five-game losing skid, marking the third time they’ve recorded losing streaks of at least five games.

With Kris Dunn still out indefinitely and now the team’s leading scorer playing elsewhere, racking up wins will be a difficult task at best. Considering the Bulls have the sixth-worst record in the league, that may not be a bad thing in regards to increasing their chances of getting a high pick in this year’s NBA Draft.

Sure, the Asik contract is pretty bad and the fact the Bulls also included the second round pick they acquired from the Pels (for Quincy Pondexter) in this trade may not have been necessary. However, the Bulls are right where they want to be.

Next: 2018 NBA Draft big board: End of January

Not only are the Bulls far from being a playoff team, but they will also have an additional first round selection — something that didn’t seem likely when they initially placed Mirotic on the trading block.