Nikola Mirotic

After an up-and-down rookie campaign, it was much of the same for Mirotic in his second season. The Serbian forward averaged 11.8 points and 5.5 rebounds per game, but knocked down only 40.7 percent of his field-goal attempts. Mirotic was also limited to 66 games, as an emergency appendectomy sidelined him from late January to early March. On a more positive note, Mirotic took a major leap as a three-point shooter, converting 39 percent of his 4.0 attempts per game, up from an ugly 31.6 percent mark in 2014-15. The Bulls made a number of high-profile changes this offseason, but Mirotic is expected to return in a similar role to the one he held in 2015-16. He'll battle with Taj Gibson and Bobby Portis for minutes at power forward, but could see less time on the wing after the Bulls added Dwyane Wade in the offseason. The move is expected to push Jimmy Butler into more minutes at small forward, where emerging third-year wing Doug McDermott will also command consistent time at that position. While Gibson is the favorite to start at power forward by virtue of being the incumbent, his upside is limited at this point in his career, and the Bulls will likely need Mirotic's spacing ability, especially when Butler, Wade and Rajon Rondo are on the floor together. That could equate to a slight bump in minutes for Mirotic, but Chicago's considerable depth at the forward spots will likely cap his value to that of the middle rounds of most drafts.

Mirotic played in all 82 games for the Bulls in his rookie season and averaged 10.2 points, 4.9 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 0.7 steals, 0.7 blocks, and 1.2 three-pointers in 20 minutes per game. His percentages were solid as well as he shot 50 percent from the field, 80 percent from the charity stripe, and 32 percent from behind the arc. Although he had periods where he struggled like most rookies do, Mirotic also carried the team on his back for a stretch when some key players were injured. Mirotic has a ton of talent, and his skill set is in the mold of the stretch four that most teams are looking for. There is still room for improvement on the defensive end, but his offensive skills are unquestioned. New coach Fred Hoiberg is expected to run a more up-tempo offense this season, which could fit right into Mirotic's wheelhouse. There is also a chance that Mirotic could work his way into the starting lineup as Pau Gasol and Joakim Noah struggled on the court together at times last season. The Bulls are very deep up front, but Mirotic could be working his way into a significant role.

The Bulls have been patiently waiting for Mirotic to come over from Real Madrid since they received his draft rights back in 2011, and now they'll be able to see what the former Euroleague MVP can do against better competition. Mirotic averaged 12.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 1.1 steals, and 0.8 blocks in 24 minutes per game last season. The 23-year-old is the epitome of a stretch four, with the length and lights-out shooting ability that could take him far in the NBA. He shot a staggering 46 percent from deep last season for Real Madrid, which is impressive despite the shortened perimeter. Mirotic has also been described as deceptively athletic for his size, so even if his defensive chops aren't up to standard, coach Tom Thibodeau at least has the clay to mold his newest stopper. The question that lingers is playing time. With the addition of Pau Gasol, the Bulls' frontcourt is crowded. However, so long as Mirotic can adjust to the pace of the NBA - and he lives up to his billing - he should have no problem carving out a spot in the rotation. Mirotic needs to work on adding more strength to avoid getting pushed around in the paint, but by all accounts, he still fights hard for rebounds and space on both ends of the floor. There's really no way to tell how his game will translate until he hits the court, but the potential is certainly fascinating.