During the 2010-11 and 2011-12 seasons, the focus of Chicago Bulls’ fans was singular and clear: root for the Bulls to win championships. What a difference two seasons makes with consecutive season-ending injuries to star point guard Derrick Rose and the trade last week of two-time All-Star forward Luol Deng to the Cleveland Cavaliers. What follows are three of many issues Bulls’ fans should remain focused on now that this season’s script has been altered so dramatically.
1.What is the obstacle keeping Nikola Mirotic from joining the Chicago Bulls?
The 6’10 235 lb. sharp-shooting stretch power forward is under contract with the European League’s Real Madrid through the 2016-17 season. However, his contract carries a reported $3.44 million buyout that could allow him to come to Chicago as soon as this summer. Under NBA salary cap rules, the Bulls can pay up to $600,000 toward the buyout outside the ambit of the salary cap, dropping the buyout figure to $2.84 million. In order to pay off the remainder of the buyout, salary cap rules stipulate that the Bulls could then pay yearly bonuses of no more than 15% defrayed from Mirotic’s rookie contract with the Bulls until those bonuses add up to or exceed the outstanding portion of the buyout ($2.84 million). The bonuses would count against the Bulls’ salary cap even though they would be deducted from Mirotic’s contract.
The following list demonstrates how a four year $21.22 million contract constructed from the annual $5.305 mid-level cap exception would satisfy Mirotic’s buyout under the “15% annual bonus” rule.
1) Year one gross salary $5.305 million; bonus or 15% deducted from contract and allocated against the cap $795,750; Mirotic’s net salary $4,509,250 million
2) Year two gross salary $5.305 million; bonus or 15% deducted from contract and allocated against the cap $795,750; Mirotic’s net salary $4,509,250 million
3) Year three gross salary $5.305; bonus or 15% deducted from contract and allocated against the cap $795,750; Mirotic’s net salary $4,509,250 million
4) Year four gross salary $5.305 million; bonus or 15% deducted from contract and allocated against the cap $795,750; Mirotic’s net salary $4,509,250 million
As demonstrated above, the total bonus money deducted from Mirotic’s contract would be $3.183 million, exceeding the outstanding $2.84 million that would be left on his buyout. That money plus the original $600,000 that the Bulls would pay outside the salary cap confines would satisfy the buyout on Mirotic’s Real Madrid contract.
Why would Mirotic agree to join the Bulls only to have almost $3.2 million of “bonuses” deducted from his contract and paid to his former team? He would still be paid $18.037 million over four seasons, after which he would have “Larry Bird” rights which would allow the Bulls to extend his contract above the salary cap at a maximum amount for a player with four years’ service.
The player who has been compared to Dallas Mavericks’ star Dirk Nowitzki is averaging 13.7 points on 60% shooting overall and 57.1% from three-point range. He is also shooting 86.4% from the free-throw line and averaging 4.8 rebounds. His production has come despite playing less than 23 minutes per contest. Mirotic is among the league leaders in numerous categories among averages per forty minutes. Odds are that he is in Bulls’ red, white and black on opening night 2014.
2). Can the Bulls’ get further under the salary cap for next season?
It is considered a foregone conclusion the Bulls will apply the amnesty provision to forward Carlos Boozer’s $16.8 million contract for next season, erasing him from their payroll. That would leave the Bulls payroll at $48.1 million. The salary cap for next year is expected to be $62.1 million. Deducted from the Bulls’ $14.0 million of salary cap space would be any bonus money paid toward Mirotic’s buyout and rookie contracts. The most practicable way for the Bulls to gain additional cap space would be to trade swing man Mike Dunleavy, whose 2014-15 contract will pay him $3.3 million. If the Bulls can deal him before this season’s trade deadline for an expiring contract or to a team $3.3 million or more under the salary cap–there have been reports that the Houston Rockets are interested–they could get even further under the cap and perhaps gain enough salary cap space this summer to lure a big name free agent like Indiana Pacers swingman Lance Stephenson or New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony, who reportedly is interested in joining the Bulls at a discount.
3) Is it better for the Bulls to make the lottery or the playoffs this season?
This is a very personal and polarizing issue among Bulls’ fans.
While the thought of Rose, Butler, Taj Gibson, Joakim Noah and Tony Snell being joined by college stars such as Jabari Parker or Andrew Wiggins is tantalizing, there are benefits to making the playoffs too. Granted, the Bulls are playing in one of the weakest conferences in recent memory, with only four teams presently above .500. But despite Rose’s injury and the Deng trade; and injuries to Butler, Boozer, Kirk Hinrich, Noah and Deng, the club is 18-19 and winners of six of their last seven games. Making the playoffs with a winning record despite the rampant obstacles they have faced and young players like Snell and Butler gaining valuable playoff experience might be even more important than a lottery selection. The Bulls could be steeled by finding success amid so many rough patches, developing battle scars that might be more transcendent than any lottery selection. But the lottery or playoffs debate will continue in earnest all season among Bulls’ fans.
What is not debatable is that unlike two or three seasons ago, the Bulls’ fortunes are not just tied to the team playing at United Center but also to events happening all over the league and even the globe.