Despite a promising start to the season, the Chicago Bulls remain in NBA purgatory. As a result, Joe Crowley of the Chicago Sun-Times is reporting that the Bulls ownership group, led by Jerry and Michael Reinsdorf, is considering massive changes.
“Back on Jan. 15, the Sun-Times reported that Bulls ownership was finally putting pressure on executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas to not only pick a lane but get this roster moving in some sort of positive direction,” Crowley said. “If that meant one step back to eventually take two steps forward, so be it.”
“Up to that point, the mentality from the Reinsdorf’s was very hands off. In their eyes it was Karnisovas and general manager Marc Eversley who made the mess, and it was on them to fix it,” Crowley continued. “Less than three months later the stakes have changed. Now, ownership is weighing if the mess has gotten too large for them to fix, and according to a source everything is on the table in the next 10 days.”
Bulls Mauling A Complete Overhaul, Decisions Expected By End Of Season And What It Means
Chicago sits in 12th place in the Eastern Conference with a 29-48 record with five games left. While the Bulls have already been eliminated from playoff contention, marking the first time in four seasons that the Bulls will not be a participant in the NBA Play-In Tournament, they only have the ninth worst record.
The Bulls are just one game ahead of the Milwaukee Bucks (30-47), who have lost 16 of their last 20. It is possible that the Bulls will finish above the Bucks’. Per Tankathon, the Bulls have the second easiest schedule remaining with three games against teams who are also trying to lose — Washington (2) and Dallas. Meanwhile, Milwaukee has fourth easiest remaining slate with two contests against Brooklyn and one versus Memphis.
Therefore, it is likely the Chicago will pick at the end of lottery once again unless the ping-pong balls fall in their favor. The Bulls have not had a top 10 pick since selecting Patrick Williams at No. 4 pick in 2020. It isn’t that the Bulls aren’t trying for a better selection as they have the seventh worst record in the league over the last month-and a-half. Since the all-star break, the Bulls are just 5-17 and have lost six in a row. The Bulls have ruled out three players for the season, and several players have sat due to ailments. It is just other teams are doing it better.
Expect Arturas Karnisovas, Marc Eversley and Billy Donovan To Be Out
While Reindorf’s may be “weighing”, as Crowley said, whether they should completely overhaul the basketball department. It is likely they have already made a decision. Don’t expect Karnisovas, Eversley or Billy Donovan to return.
Karnisovas has been charge of the Bulls basketball operations since April 2020. The Bulls are 198-212 under Karnisovas leadership, which includes one playoff appearance and one winning season.
Karnisovas has made a lot of mistakes as the team’s primary decision maker. He missed big-time with the Williams selection and Dalen Terry (No. 18). 2025 first-round pick Noa Essengue has only played two NBA games this season and Marko Simonov, the No. 44 pick in 2020, saw action in 16 contests over two seasons.
Additionally, Karnisovas has made 18 trades with seven coming during the current season. And Karnvisovas believed his trade deadline deals would get the Bulls out of NBA purgatory.
“It’s being in the middle. That is what we don’t want to do,” Karnišovas told reporters Thursday afternoon by Zoom from the team’s headquarters at the conclusion of perhaps the wildest and most surprising NBA trade deadline week in franchise history, per Sam Smith of NBA.com. “I think we’ve seen that for the past four years, and we want to change that. Play-in is not the goal, championship is. We have made a meaningful shift in terms of roster building.”
Bulls Have A Lot Of Decisions To Make In Offseason
Eversley, the first black general manager in Bulls history, was Karnisovas first hire after he was named the executive vice president of basketball operations. So, if Karnisovas is gone, his right-hand man likely has no shot at remaining.
Donovan is an outstanding coach. But the 60-year-old has posted only one winning campaign in six years in Chicago. So, it makes sense for a break in the relationship. Besides Donovan, who owns a 467-410 record in 11 NBA seasons, could return to college as he has been linked to North Carolina’s job opening.
Whatever decision the Reinsdorf ultimately make, it is in their best interest to do so as soon as possible. Chicago could have four draft picks in 2026, including two first round selections. The Bulls will receive Portland’s first round pick, if the Trail Blazers make the playoffs.
The Bulls also only have nine players under contract with salaries totaling around $93 million. The Bulls project to enter the offseason with nearly $69 million in cap space. Josh Giddey and Matas Buzelis figure to be the Bulls only untouchable players.
