Nikola Mirotic, who recently came to terms with Chicago on a two-year deal, knew all along that he would play another game with the Bulls, K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune tweets. Mirotic added that he was prepared to play under his qualifying offer, which would have paid him approximately $7.23MM this season, if the Bulls didn’t present him with a desirable offer.
Mirotic’s new deal will pay him $27MM over the next two years, though the contract contains a team option for the 2018/19 campaign. He knows that he would have brought home a much larger contract had he hit the market just one year prior, but he remains grateful for the opportunity to play in Chicago.
“If I was in this position like last year, you know, I’m sure that I would get much more pay, but it’s just not about the money, to be honest,’’ Mirotic said (via Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun Times). “Coming from Europe, I was very happy there with the contract, and it’s more about being happy where you are, feeling comfortable with you and your family. I knew that my wife, my son, would be very happy in Chicago, too, so it was a goal.’’
Here’s more on Mirotic:
- Mirotic’s salary for the 2017/18 season is guaranteed for $12.5MM, according to ESPN’s Zach Lowe (Twitter link). Lowe adds that the power forward could earn an additional $1MM in incentives this season.
- According to Mirotic, the Bulls want to play a different style of offense than they have in the past, Vincent Goodwill of Comcast Sportsnet relays (Twitter links).“We want to play fast. No more holding the ball. We’re not gonna be bad like people think,” Mirotic said. Goodwill believes that Mirotic’s comments were meant as a shot toward Jimmy Butler and Dwyane Wade, both of whom are no longer on the squad.
- Coach Fred Hoiberg indicates that Mirotic will compete with Bobby Portis and No. 7 overall pick Lauri Markkanen for the starting power forward spot, as Cowley relays in the aforementioned piece. The 26-year-old looks forward to earning his spot.“Whatever they ask me to do, I will try to do my best,’’ Mirotic said. “I think playing [the four or five], it depends on the style that Fred looks for in me.”
pay a guy 7.23 million or 27 million? seems like a no brainer ugh
You give the guy 12.5 mil and hope he wins the starting job over 2 others? I wish I could ride the bench in the NBA
So mirotic’s deal is an even 13.5+13.5 with a team option in year 2.
It seems like a bad deal for a team that seems to be going nowhere. Why not make him sign the QO?
Can’t trade him I he signs QO I think
I mean not terrible signing . He could potentially become a trade candidate in exchange for an asset. I know he can veto anything trade the first season but still
If LAL can’t interest someone in Clarkson, but Mirotic has a bounceback year, maybe there’s a 3 team deal since the salaries are similar. CHI might like Clarkson.
Idk they got Lavine
Bulls had to pay him bc they are under the team minimum salary cap. They are actually still under with the wade departure. Might have to take on someone’s contract in a trade or sign someone else.
Another Wade like signing meaning they were bidding against themselves since no one else wanted him! Buffoons GARPAX leading lemmings and lemmings keep filling the seats! Just jump and send a message to REIN$DORF the owner, he understands the dough part