Bulls' Nikola Mirotic hospitalized after practice altercation with teammate Bobby Portis

https://sports.yahoo.com/sources-bulls-nikola-mirotic-hospitalized-practice-altercation-teammate-bobby-portis-223615980.html




Sources: Bulls' Nikola Mirotic hospitalized after practice altercation with teammate Bobby Portis


Shams Charania
The Vertical



Yahoo SportsOct 17, 2017, 3:36 PM


Nikola Mirotic is entering his fourth season with the Bulls. (AP)



Chicago Bulls forwards Nikola Mirotic and Bobby Portis engaged in a physical altercation in practice Tuesday that resulted in Mirotic being hospitalized and sidelined indefinitely, league sources told Yahoo Sports.

Mirotic was taken to the hospital Tuesday after their shoving altercation during practice ended with an alleged cheap shot from Portis to Mirotic’s face, league sources told The Vertical. Mirotic is undergoing tests, but is expected to be out for the foreseeable future, league sources said.

Mirotic, 26, is in his fourth NBA season and was expected to be the Bulls’ starting power forward. A sharpshooter at 6-foot-10, Mirotic signed a two-year, $27 million contract to return to Chicago in free agency before the season.

Portis, 22, was the Bulls’ 22nd overall pick in the 2015 NBA draft.



bob
MY NOTE: Yet one more way to tank for Chicago. I wonder who/what Chicago would take for Portis? We have 14 players...


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https://www.yahoo.com/sports/bulls-nikola-mirotic-4-6-172722831.html



[size=39]Bulls’ Nikola Mirotic out 4-6 weeks with fractured face; Bobby Portis suspended 8 games for punch[/size]
Kurt Helin,NBC Sports 3 hours ago 

Bulls Suspend Bobby Portis Eight Games After Scuffle with Nikola Mirotic

[size=14]The Bulls suspended Bobby Portis for eight games after he fought with Nikola Mirotic at practice on Tuesday, reports the Chicago Tribune's K.C. Johnson.
The price to be paid from the fight at Bulls practice Tuesday came into focus Wednesday.
Nikola Mirotic, who suffered a fractured upper jaw and concussion due to a punch from Bobby Portis, will be out at least a month from his injuries, the Bulls announced.

 
For his part, Portis has been suspended eight games by the Bulls without pay for his actions. He will be able to practice with the team, and can return to action on Nov. 7 against Toronto.

 

 
The incident happened during the Bulls practice Monday. This much everyone agrees on: What started as a physical battle for rebounding position around the basket turned into a shoving match between Mirotic and Portis. Also, so far this isn’t unusual, shoving matches happen every once in a while on every team (in every professional sport).
Then Portis punched Mirotic and dropped him, fracturing his face. While the first reports called it a “sucker punch” — likely spin from Mirotic’s agent/camp — Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg said he didn’t see it as one. Apparently, neither did Robin Lopez, via Vincent Goodwill of NBC Sports Chicago.

 
Whether it was a sucker punch or not is moot — you can’t punch and drop a teammate. It crosses the line.
Mirotic may be the Bulls best player, and certainly will be one of their leading scorers this season. Portis has struggled to live up to his early promise and reportedly is frustrated with his role, and by extension Mirotic. That does not mean you can punch the team’s best player in the face. Rather the opposite.
Can you imagine the reaction of any other organization if their best player got punched by a teammate?
The Bulls have to make a decision on what to do with Portis, who has a $2.5 million team option for next season, then would be a restricted free agent in the summer of 2019.


bob


.[/size]

https://www.yahoo.com/sports/sources-nikola-mirotic-prefers-traded-012344658.html



Sources: Nikola Mirotic prefers to be traded by Bulls




Vincent Goodwill,NBC Sports Chicago 16 hours ago 













It's becoming increasingly apparent the Bulls will have to make a move regarding Nikola Mirotic as the Bulls are aware of his unhappiness following his incident with Bobby Portis.


Mirotic prefers a trade out of Chicago-which won't be available to the Bulls until mid-January at the earliest because he was a free agent this summer-and is willing to waive his no-trade clause to do so, sources tell NBCSportsChicago.com.


It's been described by one source as "one of them has to go" and the Bulls are aware of the tenuous situation. Mirotic agreed to a two-year contract with the Bulls on the eve of training camp, with the second year being a team option.


Mirotic is still recovering from facial injuries and a concussion suffered at the hands of a Bobby Portis punch two days before the start of the season. Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg said Mirotic is recovering from the concussion, that the headaches have subsided and that Mirotic was in the Advocate Center recently, albeit during off-hours.


Once Mirotic leaves the NBA's concussion protocol, he'll have to address his facial injuries with surgery or other methods, which will likely keep him out 4 to 6 additional weeks.


Portis was suspended eight games by the Bulls but is practicing in the meantime.


Portis issued a public apology and took responsibility for the incident, although many who witnessed said Mirotic charged at Portis, causing Portis to react with one punch that caused a lot of damage.


Several teammates have reached out to Mirotic following his concussion and he has talked to Robin Lopez along with Hoiberg but it's clear he has no intention of returning to the status quo whenever he does recover.


The Bulls have talked to at least one team about Portis, sources tell NBCSportsChicago.com and that activity promises to continue over the next few days.


The Bulls have until Oct 31 to pick up Portis' team option for next season and if they move him, one would think the team that acquires Portis would like to make that decision as opposed to it being made for them.


Either way, this season was supposed to be one devoid of drama and personal issues, but they can't seem to escape it and will have to address this one in swift order.



bob
MY NOTE:  SOMETHING is going to happen but it might not happen within the next week.  They have until Tuesday to decide on Portis.  If they pick up his option then that might just mean they did that just to maintain control and still plan to move him.  Portis' option means he would make $2.5M next year, has a qualifying offer of $3.6M in 2019-20 and is a RFA in 2020-21.  For comparison, Mirotic makes $12.5M this year, has a club option $12.5M next year and is an UFA in 2020-21.  So, from the Bulls' perspective, Portis is MUCH cheaper and is under control longer (and the Bulls are in full-blown tank mode, so unloading a more expensive player like Mirotic makes sense).  Danny might not do anything here but if someone does that creates ripples, as roster needs shift, and Danny probably will have a $8.4M exception (Hayward) that he will need to use by March.



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wideclyde wrote:Bob,

I do not understand how this "exception" works as far as a possible trade for the Cs.  Will they still not have to offer $12M in salaries for a guy like Mirotic (if they even might want him)?

I think that I better understand how the exception can be used to sign a free agent.

Clyde,

As I understand it we cannot use a $8.4M exception to get a $12M player.  Danny might be the 3rd team in the deal and use the exception and gain a player under $8.4M to make the bigger dollars with the other 2 teams work.

Aside from this, if a team gets Mirotic they might want, or need, to move a player.  E.g.  Bradley fell into SVG's lap because of the Hayward signing and the lower cap.  Johnny On The Spot.  Could be Danny.


bob


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If an opportunity comes up to add the right player for a year and not have to part with any assets DA may make a move.

dboss

https://www.yahoo.com/sports/report-nikola-mirotic-upset-bobby-210003499.html




Report: Nikola Mirotic upset Bobby Portis returning to play before him




Dan Feldman,NBC Sports 20 hours ago 










Nikola Mirotic was reportedly unhappy the Bulls allowed Bobby Portis to practice during a team-issued eight-game suspension for punching Mirotic in the face.

Mirotic darn sure isn’t happy Portis is returning to play while Mirotic still recovers from the punch that hospitalized him.



K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune:

Meanwhile, though he is free of his concussion symptoms, Nikola Mirotic remains weeks away from returning from the two facial fractures that Portis caused with a punch to the face during an Oct. 17 altercation between the forwards in practice. Mirotic remains upset enough over the disparity in time of absences that he has had little contact with teammates, and his camp has made clear to management that, for now, it doesn’t see a way the two forwards can coexist.

While suspending Portis, the Bulls said Mirotic deserved blame for the fight, too. What did Mirotic expect would happen once Portis served his eight games?

Maybe Portis should have received a different penalty initially. Perhaps, his ban should have lasted as long as Mirotic is out. But that train has long left the station.

Portis paid his issued penalty. He should be allowed to play.

This situation will only get trickier as Mirotic gets healthier, though. Mirotic reportedly gave Chicago a me-or-him ultimatum. If Mirotic was already upset, seeing Portis on the court probably won’t relieve tension.




bob
MY NOTE:  Mirotic makes $12M, so he doesn't fit under the DPE (even if we wanted him).  Portis doesn't either because he isn't an expiring contract.  I don't blame the Bulls for playing Portis, they're down TWO players if they keep Portis out just because of the Mirotic issue and it's tough to be down two players at the same position.  Might the Bulls be showcasing Portis?  I remember Bobby Portis was thought to be going to us in the 2015 draft.  Danny shocked the world by taking Rozier @ #16 instead.



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