It turns out that underneath all that surface-level goodwill the Bulls have amassed the past few weeks there’s still plenty of simmering tensions in Chicago, at least as far as Nikola Mirotic is concerned.
After a brutal start to the season, the Bulls went 10-6 in the month of December, which coincided with Mirotic’s return to the lineup after suffering a fractured face during an altercation with teammate Bobby Portis in practice.
Beyond that, not only had Mirotic and Portis appeared to smooth things over; they’ve looked downright friendly at times on the court, laughing and cheering one another on. But looks can be deceiving, of course, as evidenced by a recent report that Mirotic has reiterated the trade request he issued in the aftermath of his fight with Portis.
Via Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun Times:
Right around the time guard Zach LaVine is scheduled to rejoin the team, forward Nikola Mirotic might be ready to tape up his cardboard boxes, empty his locker and hang up his Bulls jersey for the last time.
The Sun-Times reported last week that Mirotic and his representatives are standing firm on his trade request and that he is willing to waive the no-trade clause in his contract when he’s eligible to be dealt Jan. 15.
Apparently, there aren’t enough jelly and mayo sandwiches in the world to repair this relationship, which might be for the best, in any case. Chicago’s recent surge is somewhat counterproductive to their long-term rebuilding goals, and if they can flip Mirotic and possibly a few other veterans for future assets, they’ll be in a much better position.
A lot can happen between now and the February trade deadline, so expect the Bulls to be active in finding a solution that will be amenable to all parties.
