The New Orleans Pelicans and Chicago Bulls are unable to complete a trade for forward Nikola Mirotic, because Mirotic is awaiting his $12.5 million team option for the 2018-19 season to be exercised, league sources tell ESPN.
The Pelicans and Bulls were finalizing a package that included Omer Asik and a future first-round pick going to Chicago. Asik is owed nearly $25 million through the 2019-20 season.
Mirotic signed a two-year deal with the Bulls in August that included a team option that's subject to the NBA's one-year Bird provision.