By Antonis Stroggylakis/ info@eurohoops.net
Barcelona is trying to sign Nikola Mirotic according to Spanish website Sport. The Spanish-Montenegrin forward is reported to be open about the possibility of joining Barcelona and return to EuroLeague and ACB for the first time since 2014.
If Barcelona acquires Mirotic then the player will come back to EuroLeague following a five-year NBA stint with the Chicago Bulls, New Orleans Pelicans and the Milwaukee Bucks. He last played in Europe with Real Madrid, Barcelona’s archrival.
Mirotic, 28, will hit the NBA free agency on June 30 as an UFA. The Dallas Mavericks and the Utah Jazz have been reported as teams that could potentially show interest in signing him.
The Bucks landed Mirotic via a February trade with the Pelicans. He helped Milwaukee reach the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2001.
In the 2018-2019 regular season, Mirotic posted 15.2 points, 7.4 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 27.1 minutes over 46 games with the Pelicans and the Bucks. Since 2014, when he made his NBA debut with the Bulls, Mirotic has averaged 12.3 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 24.2 minutes over 319 games.