Nikola Mirotic is back with the Chicago Bulls in some capacity. But that doesn’t mean he’s buried the hatchet with Bobby Portis.
K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune brought word on Monday that Mirotic, who suffered facial fractures and a concussion after a physical altercation with Portis, is back hanging around with the team:
Nikola Mirotic is at Bulls practice.
— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) November 13, 2017
Don’t take this to mean everything around these parts is totally cool. It’s not. Bulls vice president of basketball operations John Paxson noted the two still aren’t talking:
Bulls exec VP John Paxson said Mirotic still hasn’t had contact with Portis.
— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) November 13, 2017
Awkward much.
Apparently not, according to Paxson:
Pax: "Both Niko and Bobby are on our roster right now. And Niko’s getting cleared to do more and more. This obviously is coming to a position where it’s going to have to be resolved between the two." Reminder: Mirotic can't be traded until Jan. 15.
— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) November 13, 2017
Bulls initially said Mirotic would miss 4-6 weeks. Tomorrow is 4 weeks. Pax: "The timeline for him getting back is all how he’s feeling and recovering from what he went through. He obviously has to get his conditioning up to a level that he needs to. That’s all a process."
— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) November 13, 2017
Isn't it weird that Portis and Mirotic are in gym together and not talking? Pax: "They are adults. This is our workplace. They’re both part of the team. I think it’s pretty simple." Translated: Bulls have been accommodating but both players under contract. They need to meet soon.
— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) November 13, 2017
Something needs to give here. But it won’t be Portis, who has decided to let Mirotic come to him:
Bobby Portis said he won’t try to approach Mirotic. “I’m a high character, low maintenance guy. If he approaches me, I’ll welcome him with open arms.”
— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) November 13, 2017
What a weird thing to say, as the person who, you know, broke Mirotic’s face. Though, to Portis’ credit, he has (probably) tried on multiple occasions to make nice with Mirotic, only to have his olive branches snapped in half, as the 26-year-old forward is unhappy his in-house rival has returned to the Bulls before him.
This whole situation feels like it’ll force Chicago into a trade at some point. And it will probably be Mirotic who is on the move, since Portis is younger and still on his rookie-scale deal and just better suited to be part of the rebuilding Bulls’ timeline. The problem: Mirotic, after signing his two-year deal over the offseason, cannot be traded until Jan. 15. So even if the Bulls wanted to, they cannot move him now.
The only play everyone has is to go about business as usual for the time being. The Bulls cannot keep Mirotic away from the team, because that won’t do anything for his trade value. If he can get back and show something before his trade restriction expires, they’ll have an easier time of brokering a meaningful return. Plus, while having him around is awkward, it could restore a sense of normal. Who knows, maybe Mirotic and Portis work through their beef and the Bulls will no longer find themselves in a position of weakness. It might not happen; Mirotic’s rage and resentment might have reached the point of no return. But the Bulls have nothing other than time to kill, so it behooves them to see whether this thing can work itself out.
