Chicago Bulls forward Nikola Mirotic is still out recovering from injuries sustained during an altercation with teammate Bobby Portis. The 3-year man out of Montenegro suffered fractured bones in his face and remains in the league’s concussion protocol.
Portis made a public apology to Mirotic and the team days after the incident. Whether that is enough to ease the tension between the two players remains to be seen. According to K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune, Mirotic wants to stay with the Bulls, just as he always has, but things may be a bit tricky playing with Portis.
Following from the Chicago Tribune,
But there’s a growing sense that Mirotic would find returning to a locker room with Portis difficult. In an odd way, the severity of Mirotic’s injuries could help assuage the delicate and fluid situation merely by the passage of time. Emotions remain raw for now.
From Portis’ apology, it’s apparent that he would like to patch things up with Mirotic. He believes that one day he and Mirotic can have a “gentle conversation” and hopefully squash the beef.
It’s easy for someone to want to move past a situation when that person is the one doling out the punches. However, Portis is certainly not at fault for wanting to reach out and have a discussion about the entire ordeal with his teammate. Conversely, Mirotic can’t be blamed for wanting to distance himself from Portis altogether.
If the relationship is past repair, the best thing for both parties would be to come up with a suitable arrangement for all. If that means a trade, Mirotic has a no-trade clause in his two-year deal with the Bulls. So, with his permission, the front office can find their stretch-four a new home away from Portis. All of this only reiterates the dysfunction that permeates the Bulls organization.
