Chicago Bulls forward Nikola Mirotic was cleared to begin light exercises on Friday, but following an incident where he was punched in the face by a teammate, he reportedly wants out of town.
According to NBC Sports Chicago’s Vincent Goodwill, Mirotic, who signed a two-year contract with the Bulls over the summer, would prefer a trade out of town if the team keeps forward Bobby Portis, who punched him during an altercation earlier this month.
Portis was suspended for eight games after the incident, and has apologized both publicly and personally to Mirotic, but the forward has not responded to texts from Portis since the fight took place.
On Friday, Bulls President John Paxson addressed the issue, saying that he sympathized with what Mirotic is going through in the aftermath from the incident.
“We’re sensitive to this entire issue, and what Niko is going through,” Paxson said. “We’re trying to be sensitive to him. We don’t have all the answers today, but just like in anything, as an organization, we have to do what’s in our best interest.”
“We understand what he’s going through, and we have to be patient,” he added. “This isn’t something that will be resolved overnight. We will continue to communicate with Niko and his representatives, and we will get through this.”
The Bulls will be limited with what they can do with Mirotic until Jan. 18, which is the first date that they can trade the forward under NBA rules regarding restricted free agents.
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As for Portis, the Bulls could potentially move him if they decide they’d rather have Mirotic in the mix, but the answers to that question aren’t immediately forthcoming, as the front office isn’t rushing to resolve the situation.
When asked if Portis and Mirotic would be able to play together again, Paxson was non-committal.
“I don’t have that answer right now,” he said.
