After starting the season 3-20, the Bulls have gone 11-6 since Nikola Mirotic returned from facial injuries suffered in a fight with teammate Bobby Portis. Unfortunately for Chicagoans, it doesn't appear the honeymoon period will last long.
The Bulls plan to trade Mirotic ahead of the Feb. 8 trade deadline, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. Mirotic is reportedly willing to waive his no-trade clause, which would allow the Bulls to move him when he becomes eligible to be traded on Jan. 15.
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The fourth-year forward may already have a destination in mind. Mirotic is "intrigued" by the Jazz and coach Quin Snyder, per Wojnarowski. Utah could use an offensive boost, as Snyder's squad is 3-12 in its last 15 games with an offensive rating of 100.7, the second-worst mark in the league in that span.
Mirotic is averaging 17.4 points on 48.6 percent shooting with the Bulls, including 46.5 percent from 3-point range on nearly six attempts per game. The Bulls have a net rating of plus-3.4 when Mirotic plays as opposed to minus-9.9 when he sits, though Chicago's success with Mirotic could be a product of the (ironically) successful frontcourt pairing of Mirotic and Portis (Mirotic's net rating drops from plus-13.5 with Portis to minus-9.2 without him).
Even taking into account the small sample size of 17 games, Mirotic has clearly shown he is capable of contributing in his supporting role. Whether the Jazz are interested in acquiring Mirotic is a different question, and obviously general manager Dennis Lindsey will have to decide if Mirotic is worth the Bulls' asking price. It's unlikely any team would put a valuable asset on the table for a disgruntled player.
So enjoy the fun while you still can, Bulls fans. It appears Mirotic is on his way out the door.
