NBA Trade Rumors: Is Now the Right Time for the Chicago Bulls to Deal Nikola Mirotic?
Bulls have pulled off a six-game winning streak since Mirotic's return
The Chicago Bulls are currently in the midst of what could very well go down as the most improbable winning streak of the season.
After edging out the Philadelphia 76ers in their most recent contest, the Bulls have now won six in a row, which is really something considering the team had only three wins through its first 23 games.
Interestingly enough, the current winning streak coincides with the only six games that forward Nikola Mirotic has played with the team. Mirotic missed those first bunch of games due to injuries he sustained from an altercation with teammate Bobby Portis, but going by the early returns on his play, it does not seem as though those have hampered his play.
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As seen in Basketball Reference, Mirotic has averaged more than 20 points per game since coming back to the court. He has also been pulling down more rebounds lately. To put it simply, Mirotic has been one of the best players for the Bulls this season.
Earlier this year, there were rumors hinting that the Bulls may be looking to trade Mirotic, but will his start to the season change that?
Well, that does not seem to be the case, or at least not yet.
In a recent article, K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune reported that "the Bulls have made preliminary inquiries on Mirotic's value," and that tidbit came from one Eastern Conference and one Western Conference executive.
While it may seem a bit counterintuitive to hear that the Bulls are still gauging Mirotic's trade value even though he is playing really well for them, there are good reasons for them to do so.
For one, as exciting for the fans and the players as this current winning streak has been, it has been made possible by a considerable amount of luck. The Bulls had to eke out close wins over the Charlotte Hornets, New York Knicks, Utah Jazz, Milwaukee Bucks and the 76ers to get this streak where it is. Granted, their win over the Boston Celtics was very impressive, but even bad teams can put together terrific efforts every now and then.
On top of that, it is still hard to consider the Bulls as a legitimate playoff contender, even taking into account this latest winning streak. The roster is still mostly made up of young and unproven players and at some point, the schedule will become tougher.
The Bulls definitely deserve credit for playing significantly better this month, but one winning streak should not derail the franchise's rebuilding plans. And continuing on that path, if they can find a team willing to give up real assets in exchange for Mirotic, then they should consider dealing the 26-year-old.
More news about the latest NBA rumors should be made available soon.
