After a tumultuous season, it appears that Chicago Bulls forward Nikola Mirotic could be on his way out of town.
According to NBC Sports Chicago’s Vincent Goodwill, Mirotic was being traded to the New Orleans Pelicans in exchange for Omer Asik and a first round draft pick.
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Later reports, however, indicated the deal may hit a "snag," according to sources. What that snag is and whether or not the trade will still happen remains unclear.
Mirotic, who was punched in the face by teammate Bobby Portis just before the season began, came back and had a strong season for the Bulls, scoring 16.8 points per game and averaging 6.4 rebounds per contest.
After the incident, Mirotic had requested a trade from the Bulls, but the team was unable to trade him until this month after signing him to a two-year contract prior to this season.
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Asik, who played for the Bulls in his first two NBA seasons, is averaging just 1.3 points and 2.5 rebounds per game with the Pelicans this season, but his presence could allow the Bulls the flexibility to trade Robin Lopez before the NBA trade deadline if they choose to do so.
The Bulls will also get a first round pick for Mirotic, but it’s unclear what kind of protections will be placed on the pick by the Pelicans.
