The New Orleans Pelicans have traded for Chicago Bulls marksman Nikola Mirotic, giving center Omer Asik, Tony Allen, Jameer Nelson, and a first-round pick in exchange, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Shams Charania of The Vertical, and Marc Stein of The New York Times.
The Bulls will send a second-round pick and the right to exchange second-rounders with the Pelicans in the 2021 NBA Draft. Chicago is unlikely to keep Allen or Nelson, likely waiving them soon and allowing them to become free agents.
The Pelicans are planning to guarantee the $12.5 million salary of Mirotic in the 2018-19 season — which ended up clinching the deal for both parties.
The two teams had previously engaged in a trade with the same principles, but it soon hit a snag, as Mirotic would be basically a rental player for the team, with on guarantees for a further contract. By picking up his $12.5 million salary, this counts as an investment move for both the team and the player.
This deal certainly challenges a potential acquisition of center Greg Monroe, who was one of the primary targets for the team in the wake of DeMarcus Cousins’ season-ending Achilles injury.
The Bulls could take one or two more minimum expiring players in the trade, which would help create the necessary roster space to ink Monroe to a deal, according to Wojnarowski.
Mirotic has been having a career-year, averaging 16.8 points and 6.4 rebounds per game, shooting the three at a 42.9 percent clip this season — improving his stock as one of the most sought-after stretch-fours available.
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