NBA Trade Rumors: Pistons, Jazz Interested In Deal With Bulls

The Chicago Bulls are trying to deal Nikola Mirotic, and they reportedly have multiple suitors. According to the latest NBA trade rumors, the Utah Jazz and Detroit Pistons are both interested in acquiring the power forward.

Ever since the start of the 2017-2018 season, it’s felt like only a matter of time before the Bulls made a move. Bobby Portis gave Mirotic multiple facial fractures and a concussion after a fight in practice in October, forcing Mirotic to miss nearly two months. The Chicago Sun-Times reported that Mirotic gave the team an ultimatum, asking that one of them be traded.

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski has reported that Chicago plans to trade Mirotic, though his contract stipulates that he can’t be dealt before Jan. 15 or without his permission. Mirotic is intrigued by the Jazz and head coach Quin Snyder, according to Wojnarowski.

Mirotic could end up with Utah or Detroit, depending upon what each team offers Chicago. The Portland Trail Blazers could get involved with trade talks, as well.

Utah is 4.5 games out of the playoffs as the Western Conference’s No.10 seed, while Portland is the No.6 seed at three games above .500. The Detroit Pistons are the No.7 seed in the East with just a 1.5-game lead over the No.9 seed.

Chicago traded Jimmy Butler and bought out Dwyane Wade’s contract in the summer, making Mirotic their No.1 option on offense. He leads the team with 17.4 points per game. Seventeen games into his fourth NBA season, the 26-year-old is averaging career highs in points, rebounds, field goal percentage and three-point percentage.

Mirotic’s season debut on Dec. 8 marked the start of a seven-game winning streak for Chicago, and the team has gone 11-6 with him in the lineup. The Bulls got off to a dreadful start, and they remain near the bottom of the Eastern Conference Standings with a 14-27 record halfway through the year.

The emergence of rookie Lauri Markkanen makes a Mirotic trade even more likely. The No.7 overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft is averaging 14.9 points and 7.6 rebounds per game in his first season.

Mirotic signed a two-year contract in September worth a reported $25 million. The second year of the deal is a team option, making him an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2019.