Just days after the trade was reportedly scuttled, the Chicago Bulls and New Orleans Pelicans have reportedly agreed to another trade that will send Nikola Mirotic to the Big Easy.
According to multiple reports, Mirotic will head to the Pelicans with his 2018-19 contract option picked up by the team. The Bulls will also send a second round pick to the Pelicans in the swap, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
In exchange, the Bulls will get the Pelicans’ 2018 first round pick, which will come with a top-five protection, according to NBA TV’s David Aldridge. Guard Tony Allen, forward Omer Asik, and guard Jameer Nelson will also head to Chicago.
Finally, the Bulls will have the right to exchange second round picks with the Pelicans in 2021, according to reports.
To make room on their roster, the Bulls will reportedly release Quincy Pondexter, according to Wojnarowski’s report.
The Bulls’ wheeling and dealing will not stop there, according to a report. The team isn’t expected to keep Allen, instead opting to release him after the trade. They could also part ways with Nelson, but KC Johnson of the Chicago Tribune reports that the team will keep him, at least initially.
Coincidentally, the Bulls acquired Pondexter and the second round pick that they’re now sending to New Orleans in a trade with the Pelicans last year.
