Chicago Bulls Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Bulls Officially Move John Paxson To Advisory Role

April 13th, 2020 at 11:29am CST by Luke Adams

With Arturas Karnisovas taking over the executive VP of basketball operations position that he previously held, John Paxson has been named a senior advisor of basketball operations, the Bulls announced today in a press release.

“John has an invaluable perspective on our organization and where we want to be, and he played an instrumental role in this change by bringing forward the idea of a restructure and reorganization,” Bulls chairman Jerry Reinsdorf said in a statement. “I have always held his knowledge and basketball insight in the highest regard, and he has earned my respect as well as that of his peers. His decision to take on a new role reflects what I’ve always known about John – that he is forever a willing teammate on and off of the court and always does what he believes is in the best interest of the Chicago Bulls.”

After spending nine years with the Bulls as a player and then joining the coaching staff as an assistant in 1995, Paxson spent some time as a broadcaster before being brought back to Chicago as the team’s general manager in 2003. He became the executive VP of basketball operations in 2009.

After he and longtime GM Gar Forman ran the Bulls’ front office for the last decade, Paxson’s re-assignment had been expected. He was reportedly prepared to leave the organization altogether if newly-hired head of basketball operations Karnisovas decided that was in the team’s best interests.

However, a report last week suggested that Karnisovas viewed Paxson as “a resource, not a roadblock.” Another report indicated that Paxson will only weigh in on basketball decisions if asked by Karnisovas for his input.

The Bulls parted ways with Forman today after officially announcing the hiring of Karnisovas.

Bulls Part Ways With GM Gar Forman

April 13th, 2020 at 11:08am CST by Luke Adams

Longtime Bulls executive Gar Forman has been relieved of his duties as general manager and will no longer be involved in the team’s basketball operations department, the team announced today in a press release.

“Gar Forman worked tirelessly for the Chicago Bulls organization, first as a scout and then as an executive,” Bulls chairman Jerry Reinsdorf said in a statement. “He made many significant contributions during his time here and helped to bring some of the brightest young basketball talent to our team, from Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah and Taj Gibson to Jimmy Butler and Coby White.

“He has been a trusted advisor and friend to me over the years, and on behalf of everyone I want to thank him for his commitment to the organization. Gar will always be a part of our Bulls family.”

Forman, who initially joined the Bulls as a scout in 1998, was named director of player personnel in 2004 and was eventually promoted to GM in 2009.

With Chicago revamping its front office and hiring Arturas Karnisovas as the club’s new head of basketball operations, there was an expectation that Forman would either be re-assigned to the scouting department or let go altogether. It appears the team has opted for the latter path.

Forman issued a statement of his own thanking the Reinsdorfs, calling it an “honor and privilege” to have worked for the Bulls for over two decades, and saying that the team “will always hold a special place in my heart.”

Forman had two years left on his contract with the Bulls, according to K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago, who tweets that the veteran executive will be “in demand” as a scout for other NBA teams.

Bulls Officially Announce Hiring Of Arturas Karnisovas

April 13th, 2020 at 10:15am CST by Luke Adams

Five days after reports surfaced suggesting the Bulls were finalizing the hiring of Arturas Karnisovas, Chicago has made it official, announcing in a press release that the former Nuggets general manager is now their executive VP, basketball operations. As expected, Karnisovas’ new title with the Bulls is the one John Paxson held for the last several years.

“Arturas is one of the most respected basketball executives in the NBA. His résumé speaks for itself. I am thrilled that he is now a member of the Bulls,” said president & COO Michael Reinsdorf, who led the front office search. “As the new head of basketball operations, I am confident that his vision, ability to lead and experience helping build winning teams in Houston and Denver will serve him well here. I am very pleased to welcome him and his family to the City of Chicago and have him officially join our organization.”

Karnisovas had been with the Nuggets since being hired as an assistant general manager in 2013. He was promoted to GM in 2017 and helped build a roster that won 54 games in 2018/19 and was on nearly an identical pace this year prior to the suspension of the NBA’s season.

Before working with Nuggets president of basketball operations Tim Connelly to build a contender in Denver, Karnisovas was part of the basketball operations department in the NBA’s league office and served as an international scout for the Rockets. He also had a successful EuroLeague career as a player and won a pair of bronze medals for Lithuania’s national team in the Olympics.

“This is the height of a dream for me, and I am prepared for the challenge that it presents,” Karnisovas said in a statement of his own. “I grew up watching the Chicago Bulls. They represented American basketball and the NBA to a kid from Lithuania. I’ve always had a love for this franchise and to be a part of it and influence its revival is a privilege. I want to thank (team chairman) Jerry (Reinsdorf) and Michael Reinsdorf and the entire Bulls organization for presenting me with this opportunity and welcoming me and my family to Chicago.”

Since news broke last week that the Bulls had landed on Karnisovas as their new head of basketball operations, there have been rumors and reports on executives who may join him in Chicago’s new-look front office. The team reportedly reached a deal to hire cap guru J.J. Polk away from the Pelicans and was said to be in serious talks with Nuggets director of pro personnel Pat Connelly as well.

Of course, two of the most important initial decisions Karnisovas will have to make involve the head coach and general manager roles. Jim Boylen reportedly has some concern about his job security despite remaining confident he’ll be retained. Meanwhile, longtime GM Gar Forman has been let go, with Karnisovas said to be putting together a list of candidates to fill that position.

As for the Nuggets, they’ll need to plug the hole created in the front office by the departure of their general manager. Assistant GM Calvin Booth is a candidate for a promotion in Denver, though he’s also said to be on Karnisovas’ list of potential GM targets.

Eastern Notes: Nurkic, Bulls, Hawks, Sixers

April 12th, 2020 at 4:40pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Jusuf Nurkic, who was technically selected by Chicago with the No. 16 overall pick back in 2014, believed “100%” that he was going to the Bulls, as he explains on his Twitter feed. Nurkic had received a visit from a team scout had visited him prior to the draft and he claims he was told Chicago would also select Gary Harris. Both players’ draft rights were sent to Denver on draft night in exchange for Doug McDermott, who was taken with the No. 11 overall pick.

Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:

New Bulls GM Arturas Karnisovas was an assistant in Denver’s front office when the two teams executed that draft-night trade. There’s no telling what kind of moves Karnisovas will make in his new role, though as Rob Schaefer of NBC Sports Chicago notes, a main reason why Denver eventually dealt Nurkic before he truly broke out was the presence of Nikola Jokic. Chicago has no such superstar in its frontcourt.
Although Clint Capela hasn’t had a chance to suit up for the Hawks, the big man should be a good fit with the team’s current core, Mark Schanowski of NBC Sports Chicago contends. Atlanta acquired Capela in a 12-player deal at the trade deadline.
The Sixers will be remembered for underachieving if the NBA season doesn’t resume, Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer argues. Philadelphia didn’t live up to the hype after a splashy offseason that included a trade for Josh Richardson and the signing of Al Horford.

Northwest Notes: Weaver, McCollum, Daniels, Jazz

April 11th, 2020 at 3:48pm CST by Arthur Hill

Thunder VP of basketball operations Troy Weaver turned down an interview during the second round of Chicago’s search for a new head of basketball operations because he considered it a “token offer,” tweets Marc J. Spears of the Undefeated. Someone in the Bulls organization told Weaver that Arturas Karnisovas was likely to be hired to fill the role, and he didn’t want to go through the process with little chance to get the job, Spears adds.

That contradicts a report from earlier this week suggesting that Oklahoma City declined permission for Chicago to talk to Weaver, who is African American. The Bulls came under criticism this week for seemingly not including any black candidates in their front office search.

There’s more from the Northwest Division:

Like many NBA players, Trail Blazers guard CJ McCollum is trying to find ways to stay ready for a resumption of the season even though he doesn’t have access to a basketball court, writes Casey Holdahl of NBA.com. “I’m still working out so I’m holding out hope that we’re going to be able to come back at some point. Honestly, I have no idea, I think it’s a coin flip,” McCollum said. “… I’m continuing to put my head down and work as if we’re returning here shortly. I think that’s how you have to approach a situation like this. There’s 24 hours in a day, plenty of time for me to still get some work in, work on other sectors and things I’m interested in.”
Troy Daniels didn’t get an opportunity to establish himself with the Nuggets before the hiatus began, notes Arash Markazi of The Los Angeles Times. Daniels was waived by the Lakers on March 2 after agreeing to a buyout, then signed with Denver on March 5, which was six days before the season was suspended. He got into one game and played just one minute during his time with the Nuggets. “We were playing when we found out (about the shutdown) so I didn’t know if we were going to stop but we kept going, and as soon as it was over everyone was talking about it in the locker room,” Daniels said. “We were supposed to go to San Antonio that night but we went back to Denver. That’s when I knew it was serious.”
Andy Bailey of Bleacher Report suggests five potential trades if the Jazz can’t resolve the reported rift between Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert. Bailey sees the Knicks, Mavericks and Bulls as possible destinations for Gobert, while the Thunder and Nuggets may be able to swing a deal for Mitchell.

Bulls Eye Several Assistant GMs For Their GM Job

April 10th, 2020 at 6:35pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Arturas Karnisovas, who is expected to be named the Bulls’ executive VP of basketball operations, will conduct interviews with a number of general manager candidates in the near future, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN tweets.

The Nuggets’ Calvin Booth, the Sixers’ Marc Eversley, the Clippers’ Mark Hughes and the Magic’s Matt Lloyd are among several assistant GMs around the league under consideration, Wojnarowski adds. The Bulls’ office will start seeking permission from other teams to conduct interviews with everyone on their list, Wojnarowski reports in another tweet.

However, Booth could be promoted by Denver to replace Karnisovas, who emerged as Chicago’s choice as its top front office executive on Wednesday.

The Thunder’s Troy Weaver and Nazr Mohammed and the Mavericks’ Michael Finley are also candidates for the GM job, Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times tweets.

No matter which executive that Karnisovas chooses, current GM Gar Forman will lose his title. It’s uncertain whether Forman will be reassigned or simply let go by the organization. Karnisovas will decide Forman’s future, according to another Cowley tweet.

Longtime Bulls executive VP of basketball operations John Paxson is expected to remain in an advisory position with Karnisovas and ownership making the final decisions.

The Bulls were reportedly denied permission by the Thunder to speak with Weaver, OKC’s VP of basketball operations, during the search process for an executive VP. Whether the Thunder have changed their stance on Weaver remains to be seen. The Bulls did hold an informal interview with Mohammed recently for another front office job.

Bulls Notes: P. Connelly, Karnisovas, Griffin

April 10th, 2020 at 5:01pm CST by Luke Adams

The Bulls have yet to formally announce the hiring of Nuggets GM Arturas Karnisovas as their new executive VP of basketball operations. That delay is related in part to the fact that there’s still a possibility of other Denver staffers joining Karnisovas in Chicago, tweets Mike Singer of The Denver Post.

Sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter links) that one such candidate who is in serious talks to join the Bulls’ front office is Nuggets director of pro personnel Pat Connelly, the brother of Denver’s president of basketball operations Tim Connelly.

Woj adds that a deal between the Bulls and Pat Connelly could come together quickly, and that an official announcement on Karnisovas’ departure from the Nuggets for Chicago could happen as soon as today.

No decisions have been made yet on Jim Boylen‘s future as head coach, but there has been “a lot of smoke” today around Adrian Griffin and the Bulls, tweets Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. One executive tells Cowley that the current Raptors assistant is so ready for a head coaching role that he’s “over-qualified” for most jobs.

Bulls To Hire J.J. Polk As Assistant GM

April 10th, 2020 at 2:13pm CST by Luke Adams

Although the Bulls have yet to officially announce the hiring of Arturas Karnisovas, it appears that the team’s new head of basketball operations has already lined up the first new addition to his management group. According to Shams Charania of The Athletic (via Twitter), Chicago is hiring Pelicans executive J.J. Polk as an assistant general manager.

K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago (Twitter links) first identified Polk as a candidate to join the Bulls and noted that he would likely be made an assistant GM.

Polk, known for his salary cap expertise, held the title of executive director of basketball administration in New Orleans. He has a connection to the Chicago area, having earned his law degree at the University of Illinois.

Karnisovas and the Bulls figure to continue filling out the front office in the coming days and weeks and are expected to hire at least one more assistant GM in addition to Polk, according to Johnson (Twitter link).

Bulls Battling 'Old-School' Perception

April 9th, 2020 at 4:55pm CST by Luke Adams

In an in-depth feature on the Bulls and their hiring of new head of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas, K.C. Johnson and Tom Haberstroh of NBC Sports note that the team had been battling the perception that it’s too “old-school,” looking to the past rather than the future. The front office overhaul is partly about changing that perception. “They are in the same boat as the Lakers were before LeBron (James) fell in their lap,” an Eastern Conference executive told NBC Sports. “They didn’t think they needed to upgrade the front office because ‘Hey, we’re the Bulls.'”
While it’s possible that the Bulls will retain head coach Jim Boylen for another season, Chris Mannix of SI.com (Twitter link) identifies Kenny Atkinson as a logical target if Karnisovas does want to make a change. Chicago has a young roster and Atkinson established himself as a strong developmental coach in Brooklyn. Boylen is reportedly concerned about his job security but is confident he’ll be given the chance to remain in the role.

Bulls’ Jim Boylen Confident He’ll Be Retained?

April 9th, 2020 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

4:00pm: Despite his concern about his job security, Boylen remains confident that he’ll get to start next season as the Bulls’ head coach, a source close to the situation tells Cowley.

9:42am: As the Bulls prepare to officially hire Arturas Karnisovas and revamp their front office, head coach Jim Boylen is concerned that he won’t be given the opportunity to return to the team in 2020/21, a source told Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times on Thursday morning.

According to Cowley, Boylen is hoping he’ll get the chance to “sit down with his new bosses” and discuss the season-and-a-half he has spent as Chicago’s head coach.

Longtime Bulls executive VP of basketball operations John Paxson, COO Michael Reinsdorf, and team owner Jerry Reinsdorf have remained supporters of Boylen throughout his tenure with the team, despite the fact that the on-court results were lacking. Boylen has led the Bulls to a 39-84 record (.317) since taking over for Fred Hoiberg early in the 2018/19 season.

With Paxson expected to shift into a background role, Cowley suggests that the Reinsdorfs “won’t be throwing a life preserver” to Boylen if Karnisovas decides he wants to make a change.

Although the Bulls moved forward with their front office search during the NBA’s coronavirus-related hiatus, it’s not clear if the same level of urgency will be applied to a head coaching search, especially with the possible resumption of the 2019/20 season still up in the air.

Teams like the Nets and Knicks, who were expected to be in the market for a permanent head coach this spring, aren’t actively conducting their searches right now and may wait until the actual offseason to do so — if Chicago follows suit, that would give Karnisovas plenty of time to evaluate Boylen before making any final decisions.