Nikola Mirotic makes shocking free agency decision

TORONTO, ONTARIO - MAY 21: Nikola Mirotic #41 of the Milwaukee Bucks dribbles against Danny Green #14 of the Toronto Raptors during the first half in game four of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals at Scotiabank Arena on May 21, 2019 in Toronto, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /

NBA teams expecting to bid for Nikola Mirotic in free agency need to make other plans. The talented big man is headed to Spain next season.

Nikola Mirotic figured to be a free agency target for several NBA teams in need of a big man who could stretch the floor with his shooting ability. Instead of taking his talents for a team interested in making a push in the NBA he’s going to play in Spain next season.

According to Shams Charania, Mirotic will be signing a lucrative deal with Euroleague club Barcelona next year. Terms of the deal aren’t immediately available, but it should be substantial. Mirotic was expected to sign a contract worth somewhere between $40 and $50 million with an NBA team in the coming days.

Removing Mirotic from the pool of power forwards available in NBA free agency should pay big dividends for a few guys. Players like Marcus Morris, Thaddeus Young and Julius Randle should see more interest from teams who need to find a starting four. Teams will still be disappointed to see a big man with Mirotic’s ability to hit shots from range disappear from the market.

It will be interesting to see if Mirotic’s decision to head to Spain starts a trend for other international players. Historically, the lucrative salaries available in the NBA have kept players in the United State during the primes of their careers. It’s possible that rising revenues in Europe could allow big Euroleague teams to offer competitive salaries in the future. If that happens, more players like Mirotic may elect to stay closer to home.

Next. Magic are prepared to offer big man lucrative deal. dark

At the moment, his decision sticks out as a curious outlier. Don’t expect NBA teams to suddenly panic and overpay international players to make sure they don’t bolt for overseas contracts. Mirotic is taking his talents to Europe, but the NBA is still the most competitive league in the world. One player’s decision to leave won’t change that.

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