Chicago Bulls: One potential trade destination for Nikola Mirotic

The Chicago Bulls should call the Washington Wizards about a potential Nikola Mirotic trade

With the Bulls having Bobby Portis back on the team and checking out options for keeping either him or Nikola Mirotic moving on, would a trade with Washington for Kelly Oubre Jr. be a beneficial trade for both parties?

Make no mistake. Either Bobby Portis or Nikola Mirotic will be moving within the next few months. Mirotic has already given his consent to be traded if the Bulls won’t move Bobby Portis, who punched and injured Niko in a heated scrimmage that went overboard. But the options for trading either are rather slim at the moment, although the team is reportedly sending feelers out to teams who may be interested.

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Why not grab the chance to get Washington Wizards’ high upside and still developing player, Kelly Oubre Jr.? As one of the Wizards’ most exciting and intense players to watch, Oubre Jr. is still a work in progress on his team, and with John Wall and Bradley Beal and Otto Porter forming the core of their scoring punch, Oubre Jr. will be hard pressed to assume any major role except that of super sub.

A trade package centered around Oubre Jr. and perhaps a roster dump (Ian Mahinmi or Marcin Gortat) for Mirotic and picks could be appealing to the Wizards – especially if they desire to be active next summer in free agency.

Chicago has reportedly “sided” with Portis, and the next shoe to drop will likely be a Mirotic trade.

If the Bulls grab Kelly Oubre Jr., they get a proto-Jimmy Butler defensive wing who could grow into his own as a scoring beast on a rebuilding franchise. Oubre Jr. would fit right into the Bulls’ young core of Kris Dunn, Zach LaVine and Lauri Markkanen.

Oubre Jr. is averaging 11.6 points and six rebounds per game on an impressive 43 percent from 3-point range. He’s also averaging a career-high 30 minutes per contest at the moment. Despite those impressive numbers, Oubre Jr. makes his dough on breakaway plays and the occasional open 3. With Beal and Wall dominating the ball, Oubre Jr. is practically an afterthought in Washington’s offense.

In Chicago, he’d be a focal point.

For Washington, they get a Euro-gunner whose game should sync like a machine right alongside their scoring trio. Plus, Mirotic will be playing like he has something to prove. Especially if the Bulls elect to move him.

Mirotic had somewhat of a down season a year ago, but averaged 12 points and roughly six rebounds per game on 39 percent shooting from 3-point range in 2015-16.

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The likelihood of the Chicago Bulls make a trade over the next few months is extremely high. The probability of them landing a young talent like Kelly Oubre Jr. is unlikely, but, hey, we’ve seen stranger things in the NBA.

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