Nikola Mirotic: On hot seat heading into 2017-18 season

Before worrying about Markkanen, Mirotic heads into the offseason as a
restricted free agent, which means it’s not entirely certain he’ll remain in
Chicago next season. If he does stay, though, Markkanen has a very similar skill
set, and funny enough, very similar weak spots. Both players are able to extend
the court beyond the arc as a power forward, but they also aren’t reliable
rebounders for their size and have serious questions on the defensive end. After
three lackluster years from Mirotic in Chicago with the Bulls, the organization
might be quick to pass the torch over to the younger stretch four while leaving
Mirotic outside of the rotation.