Milwaukee Bucks’ job to keep the top seed in the Eastern Conference just got a lot tougher. After previously losing Malcolm Brogdon to a foot injury, the Bucks will now have to play without forward Nikola Mirotic as well.

The team confirmed on Wednesday that Mirotic suffered a fracture in his left thumb, but failed to give an expected recovery time. ESPN, on the other hand, reports that sources close to the team revealed them that the 28-year-old is expected to miss two to four weeks.

Bucks acquired Nikola Mirotic from New Orleans Pelicans in February in a three-team trade which also involved Thon Maker, Jason Smith, and Stanley Johnson. Since coming to Milwaukee, Mirotic played 14 games and averages 11.6 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game.

Besides Mirotic and Brogdon, who will be out for at least eight weeks, Milwaukee had to deal with several other injured players in the recent weeks. Team’s star Giannis Antetokounmpo was diagnosed with an ankle sprain on Tuesday and missed a couple of games while Ersan Ilyasova (illness), Sterling Brown (right wrist soreness) and Donte DiVincenzo (bilateral heel bursitis) were also unable to play at one point this week.

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While the NBA trade deadline didn’t treat us with big blockbuster trades, we did manage to see some major shakeups on Thursday. Arguably the biggest names that changed teams were Memphis Grizzlies’ Marc Gasol who was traded to the Toronto Raptors, and New Orleans Pelicans’ Nikola Mirotic, who joined Milwaukee Bucks.

After realizing they won’t get back to the playoffs anytime soon, Grizzlies started shopping Gasol in the recent weeks and were engaged with several teams including Charlotte Hornets. Still, Raptors made a last-minute offer for the 34-year-old which included Jonas Valanciunas, Delon Wright, CJ Miles and a 2024 second-round draft pick and managed to get their guy.

By pairing Marc Gasol with All-Stars Kyle Lowry and Kawhi Leonard, Raptors now formed their own Big-3 and emerged as one of the prime contenders to reach the NBA Finals in Eastern Conference. Grizzlies, on the other hand, officially entered the rebuilding mode and are facing a long way back to contention.

Gasol played 53 games this season and has averaged 15.7 points, 8.6 rebounds, 4.7 assists, and 1.2 blocks per game.

In the second big trade on Thursday, New Orleans Pelicans began the process of tearing down their roster and sent Nikola Mirotic to the Milwaukee Bucks. Pelicans received Jason Smith, Stanley Johnson and four second-round picks in exchange according to ESPN.

With this trade, the Bucks improved what has been already a strong roster and are slowly establishing themselves as a big force in the East.

Mirotic is averaging 16.7 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game.

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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.

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ESPN reports that the Chicago Bulls‘ forward Bobby Portis received eight games suspension for punching his teammate Nikola Mirotic during team’s practice on Tuesday. Portis and Mirotic first had a verbal confrontation before things became physical. At one point, Portis threw a punch and Mirotic ended up in the hospital. Mirotic suffered two facial fractures and a concussion and will be out for at least 4 weeks. Portis and Mirotic were the candidates for the same spot in the Bulls’ starting 5, with Mirotic eventually securing the place for himself.

The Chicago Bulls’ vice president of basketball operations, John Paxson, spoke about the incident on Wednesday.

“Both players owned responsibility in the incident itself,” – Paxson said. “But only one player threw a punch. And that punch connected and for us that is inexcusable. It’s not who we are. It disappoints us in terms of what happened, and because of that we’ve determined that we’re going to suspend Bobby for eight games.” Paxon also added that this is a team’s suspension, although the Bulls have asked the league for advice.

Although the Portis was the one to throw a punch, the rest of the Bulls’ players consider that Mirotic also has his part of the blame for the confrontation.

“We talked with Bobby,” said center Robin Lopez. “Obviously he’s regretful about what he did. We talked about it as a team afterward. Everything was still so fresh. We as a team feel there’s blame on both sides. When it comes down to it the punch was inexcusable.“

Bobby Portis played 2 seasons for Arkansas Razorbacks during college, before entering the 2015 NBA draft. He was selected by the Chicago Bulls with the 22nd overall pick. During his time with the Bulls, Portis never managed to emerge as a regular starter, entering most of the games from the bench. In 126 regular season games played in the NBA, Portis averaged 6.9 points and 5 rebounds per game.

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Although the NBA season has just started, there are already problems within the Chicago Bulls. It was reported that the Bulls’ forwards Nikola Mirotic and Bobby Portis had “serious altercation” on the team’s practice on Tuesday, which ended with Mirotic being admitted to the hospital. According to ESPN, the players have been trash talking each other during the practice, before things turned physical. Mirotic charged at Portis twice and after that Portis threw a punch at him. Mirotic ended up on the ground and stayed there for several minutes before heading to the hospital. It is important to note that both players were trying to win team’s starting power forward spot, with Mirotic emerging as a favorite.

The Bulls have confirmed the altercation via an official statement, saying that Mirotic will likely need a surgery and he is out indefinitely. You can read the team’s full statement below.

“Chicago Bulls forwards Bobby Portis and Nikola Mirotic had a physical altercation during today’s practice. As a result of the incident, Mirotic suffered a concussion and maxillary fractures. Surgery is likely required. Mirotic is out indefinitely. The Bulls are evaluating disciplinary action. An update will be provided when applicable.“

According to the Chicago Tribune, Mirotic said that he suffered two fractures while estimating that he could be out from the court “a few weeks, at least.”

Nikola Mirotic recently signed a new two-year, $27 million deal with the rebuilding Chicago Bulls. According to the reports, the second year of the contract is team-option. Mirotic emerged as the longest standing player on the Bulls’ current roster. Since he became a member of the Bulls, Mirotic averaged 10.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per game. The team has decided to start almost from scratch this season, trading away Jimmy Butler and parting ways with Rajon Rondo and Dwyane Wade.

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Milwaukee Bucks’ job to keep the top seed in the Eastern Conference just got a lot tougher. After previously losing Malcolm Brogdon to a foot injury, the Bucks will now have to play without forward Nikola Mirotic as well.

The team confirmed on Wednesday that Mirotic suffered a fracture in his left thumb, but failed to give an expected recovery time. ESPN, on the other hand, reports that sources close to the team revealed them that the 28-year-old is expected to miss two to four weeks.

Bucks acquired Nikola Mirotic from New Orleans Pelicans in February in a three-team trade which also involved Thon Maker, Jason Smith, and Stanley Johnson. Since coming to Milwaukee, Mirotic played 14 games and averages 11.6 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game.

Besides Mirotic and Brogdon, who will be out for at least eight weeks, Milwaukee had to deal with several other injured players in the recent weeks. Team’s star Giannis Antetokounmpo was diagnosed with an ankle sprain on Tuesday and missed a couple of games while Ersan Ilyasova (illness), Sterling Brown (right wrist soreness) and Donte DiVincenzo (bilateral heel bursitis) were also unable to play at one point this week.

The post Bucks’ Nikola Mirotic Out for 2-4 Weeks appeared first on SportzBonanza.

While the NBA trade deadline didn’t treat us with big blockbuster trades, we did manage to see some major shakeups on Thursday. Arguably the biggest names that changed teams were Memphis Grizzlies’ Marc Gasol who was traded to the Toronto Raptors, and New Orleans Pelicans’ Nikola Mirotic, who joined Milwaukee Bucks.

After realizing they won’t get back to the playoffs anytime soon, Grizzlies started shopping Gasol in the recent weeks and were engaged with several teams including Charlotte Hornets. Still, Raptors made a last-minute offer for the 34-year-old which included Jonas Valanciunas, Delon Wright, CJ Miles and a 2024 second-round draft pick and managed to get their guy.

By pairing Marc Gasol with All-Stars Kyle Lowry and Kawhi Leonard, Raptors now formed their own Big-3 and emerged as one of the prime contenders to reach the NBA Finals in Eastern Conference. Grizzlies, on the other hand, officially entered the rebuilding mode and are facing a long way back to contention.

Gasol played 53 games this season and has averaged 15.7 points, 8.6 rebounds, 4.7 assists, and 1.2 blocks per game.

In the second big trade on Thursday, New Orleans Pelicans began the process of tearing down their roster and sent Nikola Mirotic to the Milwaukee Bucks. Pelicans received Jason Smith, Stanley Johnson and four second-round picks in exchange according to ESPN.

With this trade, the Bucks improved what has been already a strong roster and are slowly establishing themselves as a big force in the East.

Mirotic is averaging 16.7 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game.

The post Grizzlies’ Marc Gasol Traded to the Raptors, Pelicans Send Nikola Mirotic to Bucks appeared first on SportzBonanza.

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.

The post New Orleans Pelicans Acquire Nikola Mirotic from Chicago Bulls appeared first on SportzBonanza.

ESPN reports that the Chicago Bulls‘ forward Bobby Portis received eight games suspension for punching his teammate Nikola Mirotic during team’s practice on Tuesday. Portis and Mirotic first had a verbal confrontation before things became physical. At one point, Portis threw a punch and Mirotic ended up in the hospital. Mirotic suffered two facial fractures and a concussion and will be out for at least 4 weeks. Portis and Mirotic were the candidates for the same spot in the Bulls’ starting 5, with Mirotic eventually securing the place for himself.

The Chicago Bulls’ vice president of basketball operations, John Paxson, spoke about the incident on Wednesday.

“Both players owned responsibility in the incident itself,” – Paxson said. “But only one player threw a punch. And that punch connected and for us that is inexcusable. It’s not who we are. It disappoints us in terms of what happened, and because of that we’ve determined that we’re going to suspend Bobby for eight games.” Paxon also added that this is a team’s suspension, although the Bulls have asked the league for advice.

Although the Portis was the one to throw a punch, the rest of the Bulls’ players consider that Mirotic also has his part of the blame for the confrontation.

“We talked with Bobby,” said center Robin Lopez. “Obviously he’s regretful about what he did. We talked about it as a team afterward. Everything was still so fresh. We as a team feel there’s blame on both sides. When it comes down to it the punch was inexcusable.“

Bobby Portis played 2 seasons for Arkansas Razorbacks during college, before entering the 2015 NBA draft. He was selected by the Chicago Bulls with the 22nd overall pick. During his time with the Bulls, Portis never managed to emerge as a regular starter, entering most of the games from the bench. In 126 regular season games played in the NBA, Portis averaged 6.9 points and 5 rebounds per game.

The post Bobby Portis Suspended For Punching Chicago Bulls Teammate Nikola Mirotic appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Although the NBA season has just started, there are already problems within the Chicago Bulls. It was reported that the Bulls’ forwards Nikola Mirotic and Bobby Portis had “serious altercation” on the team’s practice on Tuesday, which ended with Mirotic being admitted to the hospital. According to ESPN, the players have been trash talking each other during the practice, before things turned physical. Mirotic charged at Portis twice and after that Portis threw a punch at him. Mirotic ended up on the ground and stayed there for several minutes before heading to the hospital. It is important to note that both players were trying to win team’s starting power forward spot, with Mirotic emerging as a favorite.

The Bulls have confirmed the altercation via an official statement, saying that Mirotic will likely need a surgery and he is out indefinitely. You can read the team’s full statement below.

“Chicago Bulls forwards Bobby Portis and Nikola Mirotic had a physical altercation during today’s practice. As a result of the incident, Mirotic suffered a concussion and maxillary fractures. Surgery is likely required. Mirotic is out indefinitely. The Bulls are evaluating disciplinary action. An update will be provided when applicable.“

According to the Chicago Tribune, Mirotic said that he suffered two fractures while estimating that he could be out from the court “a few weeks, at least.”

Nikola Mirotic recently signed a new two-year, $27 million deal with the rebuilding Chicago Bulls. According to the reports, the second year of the contract is team-option. Mirotic emerged as the longest standing player on the Bulls’ current roster. Since he became a member of the Bulls, Mirotic averaged 10.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per game. The team has decided to start almost from scratch this season, trading away Jimmy Butler and parting ways with Rajon Rondo and Dwyane Wade.

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