After the season-ending injury of DeMarcus Cousins, New Orleans Pelicans have started making some roster moves acquiring forward Nikola Mirotic from the Chicago Bulls. They sent center Omer Asik, guards Tony Allen and Jameer Nelson and protected first-round draft pick in the opposite direction.
The two teams were working on this deal for some time now, but could only conclude it after the Pelicans agreed to guarantee the $12.5 million team option on Mirotic’s contract next season. This way the Bulls could trade Mirotic without his approval.
“We would like to thank Niko for all of his contributions during his time with the Chicago Bulls organization. We wish him the best with this new opportunity in New Orleans. As I have previously stated, this move has our best interests at heart as we continue to remake our team and position the Bulls for a successful future,” – said John Paxson, the Bulls’ executive vice president of basketball operations, in a statement.
This is one of those trades that work well for both sides. New Orleans Pelicans will keep their playoff hopes alive after losing Boogie, getting a player who averaged 16.8 points and 6.4 rebounds in the 25 games he played this season. It is worth noting that Mirotic shoots 42.9 percent from 3 on six attempts a game, better than any player Pelicans currently have on their roster. The team also got rid of Asik’s unfavorable contract which sees him getting $10.5 million this season, $11.2 million in 2018-19 and not giving anything in return.
For the Bulls, it was a no-brainer really. They continue to stockpile picks and can get back to their losing ways. The team was 3-20 without Mirotic and then won 15 out of 28 after he got back from injury. You can bet that Bull didn’t intend to become a playoff contender with Asik on the team.
