Nikola Mirotic Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Chicago’s Pursuit Of ‘Melo Hinges On Mirotic

March 6th, 2014 at 12:44pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Bulls are planning an aggressive pursuit of a major addition this summer and they won’t fear paying the luxury tax if it comes to that, as Chris Broussard of ESPN.com reports in an Insider-only piece. Carmelo Anthony and Nikola Mirotic are the two primary candidates, Broussard writes, adding that it’s an either-or proposition. Chicago will go after the Knicks star if it decides to wait until 2015 to bring on Mirotic, who’d require a hefty salary plus a sizable buyout from Real Madrid of Spain, which has the forward under contract until 2016.

Joakim Noah made a recruiting pitch to Anthony at the All-Star Game, telling him that his best chance to win a ring is in Chicago, and Derrick Rose would also love to see the Knicks star jump to the Bulls, Broussard reported this morning. A report from January indicated that Anthony would prefer Chicago to Los Angeles, though Anthony told reporters at the All-Star break that his priority is to re-sign with the Knicks. Broussard is “beginning to think” that Anthony will leave New York, but that appears to be mere speculation.

The Bulls would have to use the amnesty clause on Carlos Boozer to sign either Anthony or Mirotic for more than the mid-level exception, which would be well beneath market value for either of them. Chicago would likely have to make additional salary-clearing moves to open up enough room for Anthony, depending on how much less than his maximum starting salary of more than $22.458MM he’d be willing to take. The Bulls hold the NBA rights to the 23-year-old Mirotic, widely seen as the best player outside the NBA. Mirotic was the 23rd overall pick in the 2011 draft, but since three years have passed, he and the Bulls are no longer required to come to terms on a rookie scale contract.

Chicago paid the tax last season for the first time in franchise history, and the Bulls are in danger of paying it again this year if Taj Gibson or Joakim Noah trigger incentive clauses in their contracts. There’s a reasonable chance that either Gibson or Noah will do so, and if the Bulls pay the tax this season, another taxpaying year in 2014/15 or 2015/16 would make the team subject to the league’s repeat-offender tax penalties the following season. Those repeater rates begin at $2.50 for every dollar spent beyond the tax threshold.

Odds & Ends: Gasol, Suns, Bulls, Mirotic

February 14th, 2014 at 3:21pm CST by Chuck Myron

At least three NBA GMs won’t be in New Orleans for All-Star weekend, as technology has changed the way deadline deals take shape, observes Ian Thomsen of SI.com. Thomsen’s piece is a revelatory examination of what goes on in the hidden world of NBA executives, and it’s worth a read. We’ll pass along another tidbit from it here among our look at the league’s latest:

Executives think Pau Gasol is the most significant player with a strong chance to be dealt, Thomsen writes. The likehihood of a Gasol deal has grown as the Lakers have dropped further from contention, Bleacher Report’s Kevin Ding writes, identifying Chris Kaman, Jordan Hill and Steve Blake as other prime trade candidates on the Lakers.
Sam Smith of Bulls.com hears the Suns, who’ve been pursuing Gasol and his expiring contract, aren’t looking for short-term help and would prefer to trade for a player who can be a mainstay for years to come.
Smith also says that the Bulls are targeting veterans and buyout candidates rather than D-Leaguers for their 13th roster spot, suggesting Marcus Camby as a possibility, though it’s unclear if the Bulls truly have interest in signing the 39-year-old big man.
An NBA executive thinks that if Nikola Mirotic were eligible for this year’s draft, he’d be a top-three pick, tweets Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com.
Jameer Nelson says the Magic haven’t indicated to him they have any plans to trade him, and, according to Bleacher Report’s Jared Zwerling, he has no plans to test free agency this summer. Of course, Nelson might not have a choice, since the Magic can save $6MM of his $8MM salary for next season if they waive him on or before July 15th.
Adam Silver isn’t quite sure why players would be opposed to the idea of raising the age limit to 20, which he supports, as the commissioner tells Sam Amick of USA Today. Silver also suggests that allowing teams an extra year to scout prospects will help clubs with high draft picks make the right choice more often, leading to more leaguewide parity.

Central Notes: Bucks, Bulls

February 12th, 2014 at 8:45pm CST by Cray Allred

The Bucks are playing the Pelicans tonight, and Gery Woelfel of the Journal Times suggests Milwaukee brass will pay close attention to opposing guard Eric Gordon amidst trade rumors about the 25-year-old (via Twitter). Gordon has not been linked to the Bucks in any reported discussions, however. Here’s more from around the division:

Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau, GM Gar Forman, and injured point guard Derrick Rose all spoke to reporters at a charity function, and both Forman and Rose are working under the assumption that the former-MVP will be out for the rest of the season per K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune and Nick Friedell of ESPN Chicago. (Twitter links.)
At the same event, Thibodeau said he watches tape of Nikola Mirotic whenever he can. The coach says he hasn’t had a chance to speak with the 6’10” sharpshooter that the Bulls hope to sign away from Real Madrid this summer. (Twitter link)
Thibodeau also said that Carlos Boozer will retake the starting power forward spot for the Bulls when he returns from injury, per Johnson (Twitter link). The Bulls have been getting a longer look at Taj Gibson in Boozer’s absence, and Gibson’s continued career year could have ramifications for his own contractual performance bonuses, as well as the team’s willingness to amnesty Boozer before next season.
We rounded up the Pistons and Cavs earlier tonight.

Central Rumors: Cavs, Pacers, Mirotic

February 11th, 2014 at 11:42am CST by Chuck Myron

It shouldn’t be too much longer until the Pacers clinch the Central Division title. They’re up 14 and a half games on the second-place Bulls, and the only team with a realistic shot at passing the Pacers for the best record in the Eastern Conference is the Heat. Here’s more from a division that, outside of Indiana, is one of dysfunction:

The relationship between Kyrie Irving and Dion Waiters was reportedly a rocky one when trade rumors swirled around Waiters early this season, but Irving now refers to Waiters as a friend, as Bob Finnan of The News-Herald observes. Finnan has more on the on-court and off-court dynamic between the two Cavs guards.
The Pacers reached out to Nuggets coach Brian Shaw, a former Pacers assistant, for advice about whether to sign Andrew Bynum, whom Shaw had worked with as a Lakers assistant, notes Scott Agness of Pacers.com. Shaw gave the center an endorsement, and, “I woke up the next morning to see that they had signed him,” the coach said.
Nikola Mirotic is eager to sign with the Bulls this summer, but Real Madrid, his Spanish team, is intent on offering him a sizable new deal to convince him to stay, according to Javier Maestro of Encestando (translation via Jorge Sierra of HoopsHype).
The dismissal of Maurice Cheeks was tough on Brandon Jennings, who calls the former Pistons coach a “father figure,” as Vincent Goodwill of The Detroit News examines.

Odds & Ends: Durant, ‘Melo, Rockets

January 30th, 2014 at 5:39pm CST by Ryan Raroque

There are plenty of things to look forward to tonight in the NBA, including the announcement of the All-Star game reserves as well as the follow-up showdown between the Warriors and Clippers, whose Christmas Day match-up gave us a taste of how intriguing the playoff atmosphere in the Western Conference could be come April. Shortly after the 105-103 loss, Clippers forward Blake Griffin spoke about being ejected and didn’t seem too happy with Golden State:

“If you look at it, I didn’t do anything and I got thrown out of the game. It all boils down to they (referees) fell for it…To me, it’s cowardly basketball. I don’t know their intentions, but it worked…If I knew the answer I’d probably be in a different position. Tonight I got two technicals for nothing.”

Although Warriors coach Mark Jackson continues to insist that LAC-GSW isn’t a rivalry, Matt Moore of CBS Sports provides the evidence which suggests otherwise. In the meantime, here are some links to pass along from around the Association this afternoon:

Kevin Durant‘s decision this summer to sign with Jay Z’s Roc Nation Sports agency came from a desire to enhance his off-court marketing, and it had nothing to do with his feelings about Oklahoma City, sources tell Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders.
An agent with ties to the Knicks tells Bleacher Report’s Jared Zwerling that he thinks Carmelo Anthony is “too Hollywood” to choose the Bulls in free agency and prefers New York or Los Angeles instead.
Some executives around the league were put off by the public negotiating the Rockets did when Omer Asik was on the block, and other front-office types were annoyed with Houston’s boasts after the Dwight Howard signing, as Zwerling reports in the same piece.
The Bulls would be “ecstatic” if Nikola Mirotic signed this summer for the mid-level exception, tweets Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com. He’s almost certainly referring to the non-taxpayer’s mid-level, which would allow for a starting salary of $5.305MM.
Marco Belinelli says the Bulls didn’t make an offer to re-sign him this past summer, and he finds that surprising, as Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com observes. The Bulls chose to sign Mike Dunleavy instead, reportedly because they felt he was a better fit with Derrick Rose.
Emiliano Carchia of Sportando relays a report from El Mundo Deportivo that China and Russia have decided to withdraw their bids from the FIFA World Cup Wild Card. Ryan Wosltat of the Toronto Sun (via Twitter) says that with those two teams out of the picture and Brazil, Greece, and Turkey locks for the tournament, then Canada should have a shot to make it as well.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Broussard’s Latest: Carmelo, Rondo, Love

January 30th, 2014 at 10:39am CST by Chuck Myron

Most of the executives to whom ESPN Insider’s Chris Broussard has spoken believe the Bulls will make a run at Carmelo Anthony this summer. Some are “completely convinced” Chicago will go after him, Broussard writes. A rival GM thinks the team’s confidence in Nikola Mirotic‘s ability will play heavily into the team’s decision regarding Anthony. A report in recent days indicated the Bulls are among the front runners for last year’s scoring champ. Broussard has plenty more in latest piece, and we’ll round it up here:

Rajon Rondo quickly ended extension talks with the Celtics, and the discussions didn’t even get to the numbers stage, according to Broussard, who says the point guard wants to keep his options open as he seeks a payday and a winning situation. Rondo has expressed his commitment to Boston, but the Knicks, who remain interested in trading for him, view him as the perfect complement to Anthony.
A GM tells Broussard that it’s “a 100% certainty” that Kevin Love will sign with the Lakers after next season. Most executives who’ve spoken to the ESPN.com scribe also believe the former UCLA star is headed for the purple-and-gold.
The Lakers might be willing to overpay Eric Bledsoe to bring him aboard via restricted free agency this summer, a source tells Broussard. Suns owner Robert Sarver has indicated he’s willing to match any offer for the point guard, so it’d be a surprise if Bledsoe wound up back in L.A.
If the Celtics, who are looking to clear cap room, can find takers for Gerald Wallace, Jeff Green and Avery Bradley, “they’re gone,” Broussard says. It’s not a surprise that GM Danny Ainge would be quick to unload Wallace, but his apparent enthusiasm for moving Green and Bradley is noteworthy.
The Raptors had engaged in trade talk with other clubs about DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry before their run to the top of the Atlantic Division, but Toronto is no longer looking to move DeRozan, barring an substantial offer. Broussard hears the Raptors are not high enough on Lowry to offer him a sizable contract when he hits free agency this summer, but an opposing GM thinks Toronto will hang on to Lowry through the trade deadline because of fears about alienating the fan base.
The Pacers will only trade Danny Granger if another team “blows them away” with an offer, Broussard writes.
Broussard detects a strong sense around the league that the Pistons are eager to trade Josh Smith.
The Sixers would be willing to take back a little bit of salary to acquire draft picks for their veterans, according to Broussard. I assume he’s referring to long-term salary commitments rather than players on expiring deals.
The strong play of the Grizzlies has quieted chatter surrounding Zach Randolph, Broussard reports.
The Heat are interested in Andrew Bynum, but they’re unwilling to pay him more than the minumum salary, an executive tells Broussard. Bynum is reportedly holding out for more than that.
GMs who spoke to Broussard identified the following players as candidates to be traded before the deadline: Andre Miller, Jameer Nelson, Emeka Okafor, Kenneth Faried, Shawn Marion, Dion Waiters, Jarrett Jack, Francisco Garcia and Arron Afflalo.

Central Notes: Stephenson, Bulls

January 28th, 2014 at 6:34pm CST by Cray Allred

The Bulls have continued to win a surprising amount of games after trading Luol Deng to the Cavs. Taj Gibson told reporters, including K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune, he believes they can keep winning, even as they embark on a 6-game road trip against Western Conference opponents. Here are some other notes from the Central Division:

While Lance Stephenson won’t hint much at his pending unrestricted free agency, his parents tell Mark Montieth of Pacers.com that they are optimistic he will stay with the Pacers. The guard, enjoying a breakout season, was told by team president Larry Bird that an extension was on the way. “I listened to Larry Bird (at the press conference to announce Paul George‘s long-term contract last summer) say, ‘Lance, you’ll be sitting here with your dad.’ That’s what we believe,” Stephenson’s father says. “Until otherwise, that’s the plan. Larry Bird said that and we bought into it. We believe it, Lance believes it.”
Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf told WGN’s Rich King on Monday that the Bulls will sign Nikola Mirotic no later than the summer of 2015, as K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune transcribes. The Bulls own the rights to Mirotic, who is currently playing in Spain.
Tommy Beer of Basketball Insiders thinks that the Bulls would benefit from trading for Carmelo Anthony before the trade deadline. In a hypothetical trade package, Beer likes the idea of Chicago parting with Jimmy Butler, Carlos Boozer, Tony Snell, Kirk Hinrich and two draft picks to obtain Anthony, Iman Shumpert, and Raymond Felton. “A starting five of Derrick Rose, Iman Shumpert, Carmelo Anthony, Taj Gibson and Joakim Noah would be an awfully intriguing starting unit,” Beer explains. “Felton would serve as insurance for Rose, in case the former MVP has any hiccups in his return from injury. And once Rose is back and completely healthy, Felton would be a solid back-up point guard, and could also, at times, play alongside Rose in the same backcourt.”

Bulls Notes: Deng, Rose, Mirotic, Boozer

January 7th, 2014 at 12:10pm CST by Luke Adams

The Luol Deng trade between the Cavaliers and Bulls could have a significant impact on the Heat, according to Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel. As Winderman notes, the move should ensure that Andrew Bynum becomes available for Miami to pursue, and it also gives the Cavs an intriguing alternative to LeBron James in free agency this summer.

The Bulls had been expected to challenge Miami for Eastern Conference supremacy this season, but for now, Chicago’s front office is focused on how to improve the long-term outlook of a team that no longer has Deng and will be without Derrick Rose for several more months. Here’s the latest out of Chicago:

Asked about the Deng trade, coach Tom Thibodeau declined to go into detail, but “it’s obvious he disagreed” with the decision to move the veteran forward, tweets Nick Friedell of ESPN Chicago. Mike McGraw of the Daily Herald suggests (via Twitter) that Thibodeau isn’t necessarily upset about the move, since he recognizes the reality of the Bulls’ situation, but he’s “not thrilled, obviously.”
Bulls VP of basketball operations John Paxson confirmed that the club offered Deng an extension recently. According to Paxson, the front office felt like it was a competitive offer, but understood completely when Deng passed (Twitter links via K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune).
The money saved by the Bulls in this deal will be reinvested in the franchise, according to Paxson (Twitter link via Friedell).
Paxson disagrees with the notion that the Bulls are rebuilding, suggesting that it’s not a rebuild when a franchise still has players like Rose and Joakim Noah, plus a coach like Thibodeau (Twitter link via TNT’s David Aldridge). Paxson added that the front office’s working relationship with Thibodeau is “really good,” according to Friedell (via Twitter).
Owner Jerry Reinsdorf and GM Gar Forman both spoke to Rose about the Deng trade and didn’t get the sense that the former MVP was unhappy with the direction of the club, tweets Friedell.
Nikola Mirotic remains a part of the Bulls’ future, but the organization isn’t as confident as it once was that he’ll be signed this summer, tweets Friedell. Still, Chicago hopes to bring him over “sooner rather than later,” says Paxson (Twitter link via Johnson).
The Bulls haven’t yet decided whether Carlos Boozer will be amnestied in July, says Paxson (Twitter link via Friedell).
Paxson acknowledged that the Bulls didn’t handle Deng’s spinal tap fallout last spring as well as they should or could have, according to Johnson (Twitter link).

Bulls Rumors: Trades, Deng, Mirotic

December 23rd, 2013 at 4:50pm CST by Luke Adams

The Bulls will kick off a full day of NBA action on Wednesday by facing the Nets in Brooklyn, but the matchup won’t be the marquee contest that the NBA was expecting and hoping for when it was scheduled for Christmas Day. The two teams have combined to go 19-33 and both currently fall outside of the East’s playoff picture. As we look forward to seeing whether either underachieving club will impress on Wednesday, let’s round up a few Bulls-related items….

We passed along several updates from Chad Ford’s Monday chat earlier this afternoon, but Ford also tucked one notable tidbit in his weekly Tank Rank piece at ESPN.com (Insider link). According to Ford, while the Bulls don’t want to trade Luol Deng, the team also isn’t exploring any trades that would improve the team in the short-term.
Given the lack of realistic upgrades available in the summer of 2014, Joel Brigham of HoopsWorld thinks it’s inevitable that Deng ends up re-signing with the Bulls when his current deal expires.
The Bulls are reportedly intent on bringing Nikola Mirotic stateside in 2014, but his current club in Spain doesn’t sound totally on board with that plan. According to a Marca.com report (translation via HoopsHype), Real Madrid is already trying to extend Mirotic’s contract, which runs through 2016.

Odds & Ends: Asik, Gasol, Wolves, Mirotic

December 17th, 2013 at 9:45pm CST by Alex Lee

With December 15th in our rearview and the trade deadline two months ahead of us, things should start to heat up quickly, as our Luke Adams noted in his Trade Season Primer. Here are some trade-related rumors as well as some odds and ends from around the league on Tuesday night:

With two days remaining until the Rockets self-imposed December 19th deadline, Marc Stein of ESPN.com tweets that there is a consensus expectation that Omer Asik will be moved in a three-team deal in which he ends up in Boston or Philly.
Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports adds the Cavs and the Hawks to Stein’s list and says that there is a fifth mystery team in the mix for the center’s services. (Twitter links)
Meanwhile, Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld tweets that he is hearing that an Asik deal may go down on Wednesday, though he cautions that nothing is definite.
Kennedy also writes about the possibility of the Lakers finally pulling the trigger on a deal to send the disgruntled Pau Gasol out of Los Angeles, opining that while the team has overvalued the Spaniard in the past, the combination of his contract, his struggles this season and his issues with Mike D’Antoni may finally be enough for the Lakers to move him.
As Tim Faklis of Canis Hoopus writes, the Timberwolves don’t have the assets to complete another significant trade this season. Faklis concludes that any deal could only involve some combination of Dante Cunningham, Luc Mbah a Moute, Alexey Shved and/or Shabazz Muhammad. Referencing Faklis’ story, Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN tweets that the Wolves are limited in their flexibility and that he is told to expect “status quo” in Minnesota for now.
We know that not only have the Bulls met with Nikola Mirotic, but that they’re aggressively trying to bring him over from Spain for next season. Nick Friedell of ESPN Chicago tweets that the Bulls “love” Mirotic and that if they get him stateside this summer that it should be considered their big offseason move. To put that into context, Friedell adds that the Bulls consider Mirotic more valuable than the top-10 protected first round pick of the Bobcats that they own. (Twitter links)