A month ago, it seemed clear that Rajon Rondo and Nikola Mirotic were on their way out of Chicago. Now it’s less certain than it used to be.
Rondo and Mirotic have emerged as unlikely leaders as the Bulls fight for one of the East’s final playoff spots. At 35-39, they entered tonight’s action one game behind the eighth-place Heat but just three games out of the fifth seed.
Rondo has reclaimed the starting point guard role and taken control of the Bulls’ offense. He barely missed a triple double Sunday in a crucial win at Milwaukee and looks comfortable running the team for the first time all season. It’s a far cry from mid-January when he was relegated to the bench and stayed in shape by playing pickup games at an area middle school.
Rondo proclaimed himself one of Chicago’s “three alphas” along with Jimmy Butler and Dwyane Wade after signing a two-year deal worth nearly $27.4MM in July. But it’s not clear if that view was ever shared by the Bulls’ front office, who traded for one point guard, Michael Carter-Williams, in October, and another, Cameron Payne, last month.
But Rondo may be changing minds with his recent play. Bulls.com beat writer Sam Smith recently stated that it’s “no longer ridiculous” that the team might pick up Rondo’s $13.397MM option for next season. Chicago’s desire for cap room will certainly factor into that decision, as just $3MM of Rondo’s deal is guaranteed through June 30th.
Mirotic’s turnaround may be even more remarkable. He was being held out of games just two weeks ago, but has bounced back to become a key part of the Bulls’ offense. He has scored 28, 15 and 28 points in his last three games. Mirotic will be a restricted free agent this summer, so Chicago will have the option to match any offer he gets.
That brings us to tonight’s question: Should the Bulls bring back Rondo and Mirotic next season or should they look for other players to fill those roles? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below. We look forward to what you have to say.
Why can’t this team just tank? 35-39 and still has a shot at the playoffs? Lol. I think that says more about the state of the NBA, and their love of money, than anything else. The Bulls are going nowhere, even if they make the playoffs.
It’s should be just like baseball. The best 4 teams from each league. The NBA spends almost as much time in the playoffs as they do in the regular season.
Going to 8 teams will make the league more competitive, and reward the people that pay the bills — the FANS — as the owners will need to put a really good team on the floor, so that they can ensure that they make the playoffs and get more revenue.
The Bulls’ pathetic front office doesn’t care about truly winning. They’re perfectly content with continuing to rip off their casual fans, and just inching in the playoffs and getting that revenue. Nothing but a scam.
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Mirotic hasn’t turned anything around. He’s flat out inconsistent. And Rondo should be the coach not Hoiburg. I would have thought Rondo would have straightened Hoiburg and Paxon out by now
I always thought Rondo was the perfect PG to pair with Carmelo Anthony. Maybe they can join forces together at the end of their respective careers playing on the 2nd unit of the 2020 Clippers.
Otherwise, if Triangle Phil wasn’t around, maybe Rondo goes to the Knicks on the cheap. KP and Melo would both be better players because of it. Knicks would still be 5th best in the East (maybe) but at least they’d be more fun to watch than the crap that’s out there now…Melo, KP and a bunch of d-leaguers.
15 assists for Rondo tonight as the Bulls completed a season sweep of Cleveland.
Give Rondo a big who can finish above the rim and someone who can keep defenses honest beyond the arc and he’ll be right back atop the league leaders in assists. Ralow’s suggestion re: the Clippers would be a great fit for him – especially with Deandre Jordan.
As a Celtics fan, I’m hoping the Bulls sneak all the way up to the seventh seed and knock off Cleveland in the first round.