In the aftermath of a snag between the New Orleans Pelicans and the Chicago Bulls in a deal that would have sent forward Nikola Mirotic to the Big Easy for Omer Asik and a first-round pick, the Utah Jazz are still keeping the crosshairs on the marksman forward, according to Tony Jones of the Salt Lake Tribune.
The Jazz reportedly feel like Mirotic can help their roster, which thus far has been built around a three-and-D mold from the ground up, starting with rookie Donovan Mitchell.
Unlike the Pelicans, the Jazz are still hesitant to include a first-round pick in exchange for Mirotic — one of the key assets the Bulls are looking to obtain for Mirotic's services.
The 6-foot-10 forward is having his best season in the league, shooting 42.9 percent from deep and scoring a career-high 16.8 points per game. His inclusion could do wonders to spread the floor at the power forward position, as well as bringing a strong scoring punch off Quin Snyder's bench.
Chicago seems determined to deal Mirotic before the deadline, so this can likely come down to which team makes the most succulent offer for the big stretch four before the end of the Feb. 8 trade deadline.
The Jazz have assets that could fit the Bulls' desire to dump salary and grow strictly through the youth of their team and the guidance of Fred Hoiberg, who is familiar dealing with younger players as a former coach of the Iowa State Cyclones.
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