Report: Bulls promised not to trade Nikola Mirotic

Nikola Mirotic paid a lot of money to join the Chicago Bulls this summer.

The reported buyout from his European team was more than $3 million, and the Bulls could contribute only $600,000 without it counting against the cap (though I’m not certain they did). That left a lot for Mirotic to cover.

And what has it gotten him?

His name mentioned in Kevin Love trade rumors.

Technically, Chicago can’t trade Mirotic until Aug. 17. As applies to Andrew Wiggins, draft picks can’t be traded for 30 days after signing.

However, the Bulls and Timberwolves can discuss a trade involving Mirotic now as long as they wait to officially complete it.

There’s just one hitch.

David Haugh of the Chicago Tribune:

Mirotic bought out his contract with Real Madrid of the Spanish League only after the Bulls committed to keeping him in Chicago, according to a source familiar with negotiations.

Sometimes, conditions of such agreements – “We won’t trade you unless…” – get lost in the game of telephone from management to the player to the media, and there could be other people in the chain between those links. The miscommunication possibility is even more likely with someone like Mirotic, who admits his English is not good. (How is Gar Foreman’s Montenegrin?)

However, for the sake of this post, let’s assume the Bulls expressly promised Mirotic they’d keep him in Chicago.

Since signing Mirotic, they’ve added Pau Gasol, another big man who will eat up minutes. It seems possible the Bulls and Mirotic could have mutually agreed to lift the trade embargo, even if him remaining in Chicago remains the preferred option.

Of course, these concerns are purely ethical rather than technical. Mirotic doesn’t have a no-trade clause, and from Aug. 17 on, the Bulls can unilaterally trade him. That’s just a pitfall of playing in the NBA, which doesn’t allow no-trade clauses unless a player has spent eight years in the league and four with the team signing him.

But if the Bulls promised not to trade Mirotic for a period of time, they should honor that.

And if they can get Love, they should try their hardest to talk Mirotic into the beauty of Minnesota.

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Poohdini said:

he wont be traded because we are not gonna trade for Kevin Love

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Poohdini said:

he wont be traded because we are not gonna trade for Kevin Love

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Anytime23 said:

Stopped reading when i saw the name David Haugh

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The Hawk said:

That is what I believe. They will not trade Mirotic. The only way that he'd consider it is if Chicago gave him around $6M to go to Minnesota. IF they gave him an assurance they should honor it. Besides, they have other assets to trade that are better than Cleveland's.

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Andrew Wiggins will get the opportunity to begin his NBA career alongside LeBron James, according to Cleveland Cavaliers coach David Blatt.

Blatt refuted speculation that the Cavaliers could part with Wiggins in a potential deal to land Kevin Love, telling reporters that he is unaware of any plans to trade the No. 1 overall pick.

"There's no reason or cause for worry on his part because Andrew's not going anywhere, as far as I know and as far as the club has expressed," Blatt told reporters Saturday following the Cavaliers' Summer League practice in Las Vegas.

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Bear Pride said:

Again, it would be a real BAD precedent for the Bulls to screw over Niko like that. They would pretty much lose any credibility for future Euro players, including the two we just traded for their rights.

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BIGGIEsmalls 23 said:

Those two Euros that we just traded for are not joining our team anytime soon, if ever. It was my understanding that we traded for them simply to use their contracts in any future trades with other teams. We didn't trade for those players because we wanted them to be Bulls.

As far as Mirotic, how is he more important than the #1 overall pick (Wiggins) in this past draft?

I just showed you actual comments from the Cavs stating that Wiggins wasn't being traded. It's only a rumor that the Bulls told Mirotic the same.

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clonetrooper264 said:

I quite disagree. Do explain

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Bear Pride said:

I can't disagree, but I know one thing, showing zero loyalty by the Bulls, will not make those guys come over, that's for sure. If they're just assets I'm cool with that, but maybe the Bulls feel, with their loyalty they have, that they might consider the Bulls a better destination cuz of the huge Serbian culture in Chicago. :shrug:

I answered your other question in the other thread as to the difference of Wiggins and Niko.

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Bear Pride said:

Again, it would be a real BAD precedent for the Bulls to screw over Niko like that. They would pretty much lose any credibility for future Euro players, including the two we just traded for their rights.

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BIGGIEsmalls 23 said:

Those two Euros that we just traded for are not joining our team anytime soon, if ever. It was my understanding that we traded for them simply to use their contracts in any future trades with other teams. We didn't trade for those players because we wanted them to be Bulls.

As far as Mirotic, how is he more important than the #1 overall pick (Wiggins) in this past draft?

I just showed you actual comments from the Cavs stating that Wiggins wasn't being traded. It's only a rumor that the Bulls told Mirotic the same.

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The Hawk said:

That is very true. This also would be totally different from the way Reinsdorf treats people.

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BIGGIEsmalls 23 said:

Niko would be very comfortable with Rubio in Minnesota.

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Svic said:

he get more money if he is traded!!! How is he getting screwed. I wanna be screwed by being paid extra 2.4mil.

Bulls fans... Just so stupid.

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