Well, that was fast (and disappointing). Just minutes after NBC Sports Chicago Bulls beat writer Vincent Goodwill, who's usually very reliable, reported Mirotic had been traded to New Orleans, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported that while an initial agreement was in place the deal has temporarily fallen through.
'Woj' is the undisputed king of NBA breaking news, so for now Nikola Mirotic is still a Bull. He had more to add on what needs to be done in order for the trade to become official.
However, it's not as simple as Mirotic waiving his no-trade clause, something I think he is likely to do whether or not the Bulls pick up next year's option.
So, with New Orleans needing to account for Mirotic's potential bonuses, they need to shed an additional $1.7 million in salary in order to take on his contract. The simple solution would be for the Bulls to take on an additional expiring contract from the Pelicans to complete the deal.
So, while the 'Woj bomb' initially inspired panic and disappointment, it sounds like the Bulls will indeed be sending Mirotic to New Orleans at the end of the day for a first-round pick, Omer Asik and another player.
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