Injured Mirotic reportedly upset suspended Portis back with Bulls before him
Mirotic is still weeks away from returning due to facial fractures suffered in the altercation with Portis
When the Chicago Bulls travel north of the border to take on the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday night, Bobby Portis will be with the team. Despite completing his eight-game suspension for his violent altercation with Nikola Mirotic, there's no guarantee Portis will get into the game, but coach Fred Hoiberg will now have the option of playing him.
Just a few hours before the 2017-18 season was set to begin, Portis and Mirotic got into it at practice. The scuffle ended with Portis punching his teammate, leaving Mirotic with a concussion and facial fractures. While Portis served his punishment and ready to go for the Bulls, Mirotic is still weeks away from returning.
According to a report from K.C. Johnson, Mirotic is understandably still upset about the incident, especially at the fact he's still sidelined while Portis, who landed such a devastating punch, is already back with the team. Via 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.
This is a very tricky situation for the Bulls. Perhaps on another team it would be easier to simply jettison Portis or deal Mirotic, but for a Bulls team very low on talent, it's no wonder they want to try and keep both players around and figure out a way to make this work.
Judging by Mirotic's reaction and comments he made earlier in the process, it doesn't appear that keeping both players around is going to be easy.
















