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Bulls Officially Announce Marc Eversley As GM

May 1st, 2020 at 8:46am CST by Luke Adams

As expected, the Bulls have officially hired former Sixers senior VP of player personnel Marc Eversley as their new general manager, announcing the news in a press release. Eversley’s agreement with Chicago was reported at the start of the week.

“I set out to find a general manager who complemented my vision and values, and who could help implement them at the Bulls in a fresh way. Marc’s background and skills do exactly that,” new executive VP of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas said in a statement.

“(Eversley) has a history of building strong relationships across the board, identifying talent at organizations that have had success during his time there, and the necessary insight for building a network that will be an asset to our program,” Karnisovas continued. “He’s ready for this next step in his career, and I’m looking forward to working with him to build the Bulls back into a perennial contender.”

Eversley worked in the 76ers’ front office since 2016 and previously held positions in the Wizards’ and Raptors’ front offices, dating back to 2006. Prior to his 14 years as a team executive, he spent a decade working at Nike — first at Nike Canada and then at the company’s world headquarters in Oregon, where he was the NBA player relationship manager.

Eversley’s experience working and building relationships with NBA players is one important reason why the Bulls hired him. As we detailed on Tuesday, Eversley is expected to add instant credibility to a front office that hasn’t had a great reputation among players and agents in recent years.

With Karnisovas and Eversley installed in key roles and J.J. Polk and Pat Connelly also joining the Bulls’ new-look front office, the team may not feel a sense of urgency to continue making immediate changes. However, further tweaks to the front office are expected, with Nazr Mohammed among those who has interviewed for an unspecified role. The Bulls’ new top execs will also evaluate head coach Jim Boylen, who is reportedly confident he’ll be retained for the time being.

Chicago’s former general manager, Gar Forman, was let go by the team when Karnisovas came aboard.

Bulls Notes: LaVine, Eversley, Boylen

April 28th, 2020 at 9:31am CST by Luke Adams

In a Q&A with Alex Kennedy of HoopsHype, Bulls guard Zach LaVine said he he already spoken to newly-hired head of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas and GM Marc Eversley, and is “extremely excited to get to working with them.”

While Karnisovas has held his new position for a couple weeks, Eversley’s hiring was reported less than 36 hours ago and hasn’t yet been formally announced, so the fact that he has already touched base with LaVine suggests it was a top priority.

Asked about what he wants to see from the Bulls this offseason, LaVine – who has spoken since the suspension of the NBA season about how disappointed he was with the team’s on-court results – said he hopes that everyone is “willing and prepared to sacrifice” and is focused on getting better.

“I thought we approached this year like we were going to be good and we weren’t,” LaVine told Kennedy. “We didn’t have the chemistry, we didn’t have the right mindset. We got a little bit shocked; we thought we were going to do really well and we didn’t do well. We have to come back and prove people wrong.”

Here’s more on the Bulls:

The hiring of Eversley adds instant credibility to the Bulls’ front office, according to Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times, who suggests that Eversley should help the franchise improve its reputation with players and agents around the NBA. One source who spoke to Cowley pointed to Eversley’s 10 years at Nike as a time when he gained experience building relationships with players across the league.
K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago makes a similar point in his own look at the hiring of Eversley, writing that the former Raptors and Sixers executive built strong relationships with DeMar DeRozan in Toronto and Joel Embiid in Philadelphia. Eversley’s investment in making those connections should benefit the Bulls, particularly in free agency, Johnson writes.
Within that story, Johnson also suggests that the hiring of Eversley “could take some responsibilities off (head coach Jim) Boylen‘s plate.” As Johnson explains, Boylen felt compelled to handle certain matters when former GM Gar Forman began to focus mainly on scouting prior to his dismissal. Of course, it remains to be seen whether Karnisovas will retain Boylen beyond this season, but there’s no indication that a coaching change is imminent.
Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic takes a more in-depth look at Eversley’s background, exploring why he emerged as the Bulls’ top choice during the GM interview process.

Bulls To Hire Sixers’ Marc Eversley As GM

April 27th, 2020 at 7:34am CST by Luke Adams

Two weeks after formally hiring Arturas Karnisovas as their new executive VP of basketball operations, the Bulls have chosen a general manager who will work with Karnisovas in their new-look front office. The club is hiring Sixers senior VP of player personnel Marc Eversley to fill that GM role, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

Eversley was one of several candidates to interview for the general manager position following Chicago’s hiring of Karnisovas and the team’s dismissal of longtime GM Gar Forman. Matt Lloyd (Magic), Mark Hughes (Clippers), and Michael Finley (Mavericks) were among the other executives known to have spoken to the Bulls about the job.

Before reaching a deal late on Sunday night to join the Bulls, Eversley worked in the 76ers’ front office since 2016, when he was hired by the club’s former head of basketball operations, Bryan Colangelo. Eversley, a Canadian, also previous worked under Colangelo in the Raptors’ front office, with a stint as a Wizards exec in between. Prior to his time in NBA team front offices, he spent a decade working at Nike, per Wojnarowski.

This was at least the second time Eversley had interviewed for a GM job, having lost out to Mitch Kupchak on the Hornets’ position in 2018. He was also believed to be a candidate to replace Colangelo as Philadelphia’s head of basketball operations that year, but Elton Brand ultimately took over GM duties.

As Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer details, Eversley was largely responsible for the Sixers zeroing in on Matisse Thybulle in last year’s draft and was also the first to recognize DeMar DeRozan‘s talent during his time in Toronto’s scouting department.

After the Bulls faced some criticism for a lack of diversity in their search for a head of basketball operations, Eversley will become the first black GM in team history, as Wojnarowski notes.

While Karnisovas and Eversley figure to run the show in Chicago’s revamped front office, the team is making additional changes. As previously reported, J.J. Polk and Pat Connelly are coming aboard in key roles — Woj suggests they’ll hold the titles of assistant GM and VP of player personnel, respectively. Meanwhile, K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago says that more hires are likely coming, singling out Nazr Mohammed as one executive who interviewed for an “unspecified role.”

Bulls Notes: GM Search, Finley, Boylen

April 24th, 2020 at 4:52pm CST by Luke Adams

The Bulls remain on the hunt for a new general manager, and Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times writes that the interview process may carry through next week.

A since-deleted report on Thursday suggested that CAA agent Austin Brown was in serious talks to become Chicago’s next GM, but a source tells Cowley there’s no frontrunner at this point. Brown’s name is in the mix, per Cowley. Still, there has been no confirmation that he has even interviewed for the job yet.

Although no one has emerged yet as an obvious favorite – as new executive VP of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas did during his own interview process with the Bulls – Cowley’s source says that Mavericks VP of basketball ops Michael Finley “made a great impression” on Karnisovas. Finley reportedly interviewed for the GM position last week.

Here’s more out of Chicago from Cowley:

Since being hired by the Bulls, Karnisovas has spent plenty of time reaching out to as many of the club’s current players as possible, as well as meeting with “what’s left” of the scouting departments, says Cowley. Karnisovas is collecting information and opinions on what he has to work with in the front office and on the roster, a source tells The Sun-Times.
While many Bulls fans are impatient to learn the fate of head coach Jim Boylen, a decision on Boylen’s future is further down on Karnisovas’ list of priorities, Cowley writes. As Cowley has previously reported, Boylen remains optimistic that he’ll retain the job. He has been staying in touch with his players for updates and to have them study film clips and has “regularly” met with Karnisovas this month.
While letting go of Boylen and letting one of his assistants finish the season – if it resumes – could be one path Karnisovas considers, Cowley suggests it’s not likely. A source tells The Sun-Times there’s no obvious candidate to replace Boylen on an interim basis, since the assistants are “all viewed to have equal footing from an experience standpoint.”

Bulls Notes: Offseason Checklist, GM Search

April 23rd, 2020 at 3:46pm CST by Luke Adams

Zach Kram of The Ringer breaks down the offseason checklist for the Bulls and new executive VP president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas.
In a conversation with Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic, John Hollinger suggests that Karnisovas’ focus as he builds the Bulls‘ new front office figures to be on scouting and drafting. Marc Eversley (Sixers), Matt Lloyd (Magic), and Mark Hughes (Clippers), who have reportedly interviewed for the general manager job, are all “veteran road warriors on the scouting side,” says Hollinger.

Bucks’ Milt Newton Among Bulls’ GM Candidates

April 21st, 2020 at 11:19am CST by Luke Adams

Bucks assistant general manager Milt Newton has emerged as another candidate for the Bulls‘ GM job, according to K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago (via Twitter). It’s not clear if Chicago has requested or received permission to speak to Newton, or if he has formally interviewed for the position.

Newton, hired by the Bucks in the summer of 2017, previously worked for the 76ers, Wizards, and the NBA league office, and was the Timberwolves’ general manager from 2013 to 2016.

If he does interview with the Bulls, Newton will join a list of GM candidates that includes Sixers senior VP of player personnel Marc Eversley, Clippers assistant GM Mark Hughes, and Magic assistant GM Matt Lloyd, and Mavericks VP of basketball operations Michael Finley. A report last Tuesday noted that the Bulls had received permission to speak to Eversley, Hughes, and Lloyd, while a subsequent report confirmed that the club had also spoken to Finley.

According to Johnson, the Bulls’ first round of interviews is ongoing, and there’s an expectation it will lead to a second round of meetings with a smaller group of finalists. There has been no indication yet which candidates will advance to that stage.

The Bulls are seeking a general manager who will work under newly-hired executive VP of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas, who will be making the final basketball decisions in Chicago. Previous GM Gar Forman was let go when Karnisovas was hired.

Bulls Notes: Jordan, Management, Butler

April 19th, 2020 at 2:57pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Happy Last Dance Day! Tonight is the first of 10 episodes of the Michael Jordan documentary. In honor of the occasion, allow me to pass along one of my favorite quotes from Jordan:

“It’s heavy duty to try to do everything and please everybody. My job was to go out there and play the game of basketball as best I can. People may not agree with that. I can’t live with what everyone’s impression of what I should or what I shouldn’t do.”

It’s a quote that I vividly remember reading before making a leap into sports full-time, leaving the comfy confines of a corporate position. It’s something I recall every time I make a move that hopefully brings me closer to my goal of being an NBA GM (dreamers can still dream), and it’s a reminder that everything you do is not going to please everyone, so excuse the bad analogy, but shoot your shot.

While we await an inside look into Jordan’s final season with the Bulls, let’s take a look at some notes from Chicago:

Sam Smith of NBA.com explains how the conflict between management, players, and coaches helped motivate Jordan’s final championship season with the Bulls. Jackson and Jordan knew they had to go out as winners and the internal feuds fueled the team.
Chicago feared paying Jimmy Butler the supermax and made one of the bolder franchise pivots over the past decade when they traded away the All-Star for a package of young prospects, ESPN’s Zach Lowe contends. The Bulls felt that a new core would bring them closer to championship contention, though they have yet to make the playoffs since trading Butler.
In the same piece, Lowe argues that better play-makers – whether acquired via outside acquisition or internal improvements – would help the Bulls’ young frontcourt improve. Neither Lauri Markkanen nor Wendell Carter Jr. has played at a high level for consistent stretches during their respective young NBA careers.

Mavs Exec Michael Finley Interviews For Bulls’ GM Job

April 17th, 2020 at 8:30pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Mavericks vice president of basketball operations Michael Finley has interviewed for the Bulls’ general manager job, Tim MacMahon of ESPN tweets.

Finley is a Chicago native who has spent the last seven seasons in the Dallas front office after a long playing career. Mavs owner Mark Cuban indicated in a radio interview this week he’d allow Finley to talk to the Bulls.

Chicago’s newly-hired head of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas has promised an “extensive and diverse search” for a GM. Chicago had already been granted permission to speak to Sixers senior VP of player personnel Marc Eversley, Clippers assistant GM Mark Hughes, and Magic assistant GM Matt Lloyd.

Thunder executives Troy Weaver and Nazr Mohammed have also had their names bandied about as potential GM targets for Chicago. However, based on a subsequent report, it would be a surprise if Weaver has interest in the job. Karnisovas has already added J.J. Polk and Pat Connelly in the first steps toward assembling a new front office.

Cuban Would Grant Bulls Permission To Interview Finley

April 17th, 2020 at 4:54pm CST by Luke Adams

Appearing on the McNeil & Parkins Show on 670 The Score in Chicago, Mavericks owner Mark Cuban was evasive when asked whether the Bulls have asked to interview Michael Finley for a front office position. However, he said he’d grant Chicago permission to speak to Finley if asked. Finley was identified last week as a potential candidate for the Bulls’ GM opening.

Bulls Notes: Karnisovas, GM Search, Boylen, Battier

April 15th, 2020 at 7:56pm CST by Arthur Hill

Arturas Karnisovas, the Bulls‘ new executive VP of basketball operations, promised “an extensive and diverse” search for a general manager during an interview with K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago. Karnisovas was officially hired Monday, but is working out of Denver because of restrictions related to the coronavirus pandemic. He has already added J.J. Polk and Pat Connelly in the first steps toward assembling a new front office.

“I’ve been in this profession a long time,” Karnisovas said. “Most of the guys on the list I know personally and I’ve known them for a long time, from scouting games and going to dinners and interaction. It’s going to be easier for me. I know exactly the criteria I’m looking for. It’s going to be complementary to me and my skill set. I don’t want clones. I want somebody who is going to bring something different to our organization. Those are things I pay attention to.”

Also in the interview, Karnisovas talked about his preference for an up-tempo offense with plenty of ball movement and the need for player development, citing the progress the Nuggets were able to make with a young team.

“Players want to play and players want to win,” he said. “I’m going to try to facilitate that. I’m going to try to improve every year. Constant improvement is what we’ve done in Denver. I’d like to incorporate that here.”

There’s more from Chicago:

Karnisovas should be willing to trade any player on the roster, even leading scorer Zach LaVine or Lauri Markkanen, contends Mark Schanowski of NBC Sports Chicago. He cites the Sixers, Nets and Spurs as teams that might look to shake up their rosters in the offseason.
The uncertainty of the NBA calendar may help coach Jim Boylen keep his job, Johnson writes in a mailbag column. If the league is able to squeeze in a few regular season games before the playoffs, Johnson believes it makes sense to keep Boylen around for those. Karnisovas said he will get to know Boylen, who has two years left on his contract, before making a final decision. Johnson notes that Karnisovas has a prior relationship with assistant coach Chris Fleming, whom he helped to hire in Denver.
Chicago hasn’t sought permission to interview Shane Battier, the Heat’s VP of basketball development and analytics, according to Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel. A report earlier this week indicated the Bulls weren’t planning to pursue Battier because they don’t believe Miami would let him go.