Pelicans acquire Mirotic from Bulls for 3 players and pick

FILE: Nikola Mirotić (Photo by Rachael from Indiana – Nikola Mirotic, CC BY-SA 2.0)

NEW ORLEANS — The New Orleans Pelicans have acquired forward Nikola Mirotic and a second-round draft pick from the Chicago Bulls for centre Omer Asik, guards Jameer Nelson and Tony Allen and a 2018 first-round pick.

The trade, announced by both teams late Thursday afternoon, comes less than a week after New Orleans lost All-Star DeMarcus Cousins for the season to a left Achilles tear and with the Pelicans still in the playoff picture.

Mirotic has averaged 16.8 points and 6.4 rebounds per game since missing the first 23 games this season with two broken bones in his face stemming from a fight in practice with Bobby Portis.

Nelson has averaged 5.1 points and 3.6 assists in 43 games for New Orleans this season. Allen averaged 4.7 points before a broken leg sidelined him for 22 games.

He returned to the active roster this week. Asik has averaged 1.3 points and 2.6 rebounds in 14 games this season.