The Sun-Times has reported that Karnisovas and general manager Marc Eversley have already had detailed discussions with players and retained personnel, and were getting enough mixed feedback of what’s gone on the last year that they were leaning toward starting with a new coach of their choosing. Ownership and former VP of basketball operations John Paxson have given support for Boylen, but a source reiterated that COO Michael Reinsdorf was by no means influencing the front office’s decision on the coach and would allow Boylen’s dismissal if Karnisovas wants to go that way. No questions asked.
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Joe Cowley: According to a source, a decision had to be made on Tanaka for contract reasons. From my seat, Tanaka was very good at his job, but an even better person. Put up with a lot of strange decisions over the years, and remained the loyal soldier.
KC Johnson: Karnisovas: The luxury we have is we come from different programs. We can take the best scouting practices and player development ideas and then implement them. We're going to share responsibilities. Karnisovas said both execs will deal with media.
KC Johnson: Eversley: "We owe it to everyone on staff to get to Chicago and meet them face-to-face. It's far too early to make any of those type of decisions until we get to Chicago." Karnisovas said my initial impression of Boylen is "he cares a great deal about this team."
Marc Eversley, the first black man to become general manager of the Chicago Bulls, will certainly be noticed in the Windy City, standing 6 feet, 8 inches tall. But in his quest to help rebuild the Bulls, he also hopes to be visible among Chicago’s black youth and use his story to inspire others. “I am a black man who has a leadership position in a city with so many black youth,” Eversley told The Undefeated. “I see this as an opportunity. Being visible is important. My position with the Bulls provides resources to help drive change. We all can do better and I intend to do more.”
During seven years with the Raptors, Eversley would be promoted to vice president of scouting and assistant general manager. At one point, Eversley and Masai Ujiri both worked under Colangelo as assistant general managers. “You’re working for your hometown team, the game you love, you got a pretty good position with a growing organization, you’ve got a boss who’s giving you autonomy to grow and he’s giving you a platform to grow,” said Eversley, who lists being part of the drafting of DeMar DeRozan as his greatest accomplishment in Toronto. “It was perfect, it was tailor-made. At the time, we had a little bit of brand building to do with the franchise in the organization. Trying to put Toronto on the NBA map. … “I worked with Chris Bosh, who was an emerging star, he was about to become an All-Star, developed a great relationship and friendship with him, which I still have today. I just learned a bunch of different things.”
“I love his experience at Nike,” Reinsdorf said. “It shows his ability to connect, not only with players but also with their families and support teams. When it comes to working in the NBA, he hasn’t skipped any steps. He methodically worked his way through different organizations gaining tremendous experience.” Karnisovas called Eversley on the night of April 26 to offer him the position. “As he’s saying that, my jaw is dropping and I’m like, ‘This is really freaking happening,’ ” Eversley said. “After eight or nine days of not sleeping, studying, it just became real in that moment. You try and contain your emotions and try to stay cool in the moment.”
The Chicago Bulls have hired Marc Eversley to be the team's General Manager. In this role, Eversley will report directly to Executive Vice President — Basketball Operations Arturas Karnisovas and primarily be responsible for overseeing the implementation of all elements of the basketball operations process. "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," said Karnisovas. "He 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. 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."
The Bulls recently hired Arturas Karnisovas and Marc Eversley to run their front office. Are you familiar with Arturas or Marc, and have you had a chance to talk to either of them yet? Zach LaVine: Yeah, I’ve talked to them both and I’m extremely excited to get to working with them. It’s something that I think we needed – a switch-up so that the Bulls fans can see that we’re looking in the right direction and getting better. Obviously, we all love the work that Gar [Forman] and Pax (John Paxson) have done for us and the city of Chicago. I think the fans sometimes give them a hard time because they want the results here and now, but it’s hard to do that in sports. It really is. They had a really good run at it, and they’re still beloved. Obviously, I’m just excited to get this started and get right into it.
KC Johnson: Bulls have yet to officially announce either hire, but Pat Connelly is listed as vice president player personnel and JJ Polk is listed as assistant GM on the staff directory. Polk's title had been previously reported. Connelly's hadn't, although his area of focus had.
KC Johnson: In talking to people around league about Marc Eversley, one consistent theme is his strong relationships with players. Had good rapport with DeMar DeRozan in Toronto and Joel Embiid in Philadelphia.
Adrian Wojnarowski: Sixers assistant GM Marc Eversley has agreed to a deal to become the Chicago Bulls new general manager, league sources tell ESPN. Eversley will join EVP of Basketball Operations Arturas Karnisovas to lead a reshaped front office.
KC Johnson: Can confirm Bulls have reached agreement with 76ers assistant GM Marc Eversley to be Arturas Karnisovas’ GM. @Adrian Wojnarowski 1st with news.
The Arturas Karnisovas train hasn’t lost any steam in the journey forward. Call it just slowing down a bit to get a good feel of the landscape. The newly-hired Bulls executive vice president of basketball operations has not only been busy talking to as many of the players currently on the roster as possible, but also has had numerous meetings with what’s left of the scouting departments.
A source said that Karnisovas was still drawing opinions on who stays and who goes, as well as collecting information on what he has to work with from a personnel standpoint. All the while, he is still going through the interview process to find a general manager, a process that could carry through at least next week.
Does Karnisovas privately see a front-runner? Only Karnisovas knows that for sure, as the former Denver GM has reportedly spoken to Marc Eversley (Philadelphia 76ers), Mark Hughes (Los Angeles Clippers), Matt Lloyd (Orlando Magic) and Michael Finley (Dallas Mavericks). The source did say Finley made a great impression on Karnisovas, but there was no indication of a leader for that job heading into the weekend.
Joe Cowley: Saw the @Sportando tweet on A.Brown. Looks like it has now been deleted. Heard this morning the process was still on-going for a GM. That's all I can go on.
Joe Cowley: Update on the Bulls GM search? Not a lot to bite into. Arturas Karnisovas is taking his time in the process, still interviewing candidates, and could have something by next week.
Mavericks vice president of basketball operations Michael Finley has ties to Dallas as an NBA player. And to Chicago — where he grew up and recently auditioned for a promotion. A league source said Finley interviewed for the Bulls’ general manager job that opened last week after the organization's front-office upheaval. ESPN was first to report the news.
Mavericks vice president of basketball operations Michael Finley has ties to Dallas as an NBA player. And to Chicago — where he grew up and recently auditioned for a promotion. A league source said Finley interviewed for the Bulls’ general manager job that opened last week after the organization's front-office upheaval. ESPN was first to report the news.
Tim MacMahon: Sources: Mavericks vice president of basketball operations Michael Finley interviewed for the Bulls' general manager job. Finley, a Chicago native who was twice an All-Star in his 15-year career, has spent the last seven seasons in the Dallas front office.
There are candidates on Karnisovas’ list beyond the previously reported names of Matt Lloyd (Magic), Mark Hughes (Clippers) and Marc Eversley (76ers.) In fact, in another sign this is a new era in Bulls basketball, sources said Karnisovas hasn’t ruled out interviewing select player agents. Jerry Reinsdorf historically frowned upon dealing with agents, a stance changed when Michael Reinsdorf interviewed Jazz general manager Justin Zanik, who started as an agent, for the executive vice president of basketball operations role. This is one of Karnisovas’ most critical hires, and there is speculation around the league that he has preferred candidates. You don’t spend time hoping to lead a franchise one day without formulating ideas about how to execute a leadership plan.
According to Ira Winderman of the Sun-Sentinel, the Bulls have not requested permission to contact Battier, who has spent the past three years with the Miami Heat as the team's vice president of basketball development and analytics.
Will Gar Forman be hired by another team? The early talk around the league is yes. Forman, for all his issues involving trust with some agents and other executives, is also known as an extremely strong talent evaluator. He has two years left on his contract with the Bulls, which will be paid to him in some fashion, a source said. But he’s likely to land a scouting job with another team.
Scottie Pippen says he got FIRED from his role with the Chicago Bulls ... but don't feel bad for the guy, 'cause he's pretty glad to be away from that mess!! The 6-time champ revealed the move on the Thuzio Live & Unfiltered podcast (which was recorded during All-Star Weekend but released Wednesday) ... explaining he couldn't come to an agreement with the Bulls front office prior to the 2019 season, so they canned him. "I got fired this year. I didn't really want it to be in the public, but I'm no longer employed by the Bulls," Pippen said in the interview.
Here's what went down ... the Bulls reportedly met with Pippen before the season and asked him to make several commitments that would mess up his gig with ESPN's "The Jump" ... but wouldn't budge on compensation, so they let him go. So ... how is Pippen taking it?? Let's say pretty well. "It's probably a good thing, right? ... I like to associate myself with winning."
Despite speculated interest, the Chicago Bulls have not requested permission from the Miami Heat to contact Vice President of Basketball Development and Analytics Shane Battier, an NBA source confirmed to the Sun Sentinel. Battier's name had been floated as a possible option for the Bulls' vacancy at general manager on the staff being formulated by Arturas Karnisovas, who was hired away from the Denver Nuggets last week as Chicago's executive vice president of basketball operations.
Heat Vice President of Basketball Operations Adam Simon had been among the candidates pursued by the Bulls for the job that went to Karnisovas, with the Heat last week issuing a statement about retaining Simon, "He loves it here and we love having him." Battier is in the midst of his third season with the Heat under his present title, joining Pat Riley's Heat front office on Feb. 16, 2017, following a career that saw him share in Heat championships in 2012 and '13.
Joe Cowley: Source said that Miami up-and-comer assistant GM Shane Battier won't be interviewing for the Bulls GM job. Call it a mutual knowledge that the Heat covet Battier and won't be letting him venture out.
Karnisovas, who was the only candidate to have multiple interviews the last few days — including a final conversation with Bulls chairman Jerry Reinsdorf — will replace John Paxson. A source said Paxson, who will move into an advisory role, has been kept on as a sounding board for Jerry and Michael Reinsdorf. Paxson would only offer opinions on basketball matters if Karnisovas asks. This is completely Karnisovas’ show now.
Karnisovas will have full decision-making power over the basketball operations, including what to do with Forman, coach Jim Boylen and the entire coaching staff. He was even queried about Paxson’s presence, but a source indicated that Karnisovas had no issues with the Reinsdorfs keeping Paxson around. The Chicago Sun-Times reported this week that Paxson was poised to step down from the organization if asked, but it never came down to that.
Reinsdorf leaned on a variety of people to shape his perspective. He picked the brains of rival owners and general managers, agents, former players, the league office and media members. He wanted names of good candidates. But most important was learning how other franchises operated.
Karnisovas, who was the only candidate to have multiple interviews the last few days — including a final conversation with Bulls chairman Jerry Reinsdorf — will replace John Paxson. A source said Paxson, who will move into an advisory role, has been kept on as a sounding board for Jerry and Michael Reinsdorf. Paxson would only offer opinions on basketball matters if Karnisovas asks. This is completely Karnisovas’ show now.
Karnisovas will have full decision-making power over the basketball operations, including what to do with Forman, coach Jim Boylen and the entire coaching staff. He was even queried about Paxson’s presence, but a source indicated that Karnisovas had no issues with the Reinsdorfs keeping Paxson around. The Chicago Sun-Times reported this week that Paxson was poised to step down from the organization if asked, but it never came down to that.
Reinsdorf leaned on a variety of people to shape his perspective. He picked the brains of rival owners and general managers, agents, former players, the league office and media members. He wanted names of good candidates. But most important was learning how other franchises operated.
Arturas Karnisovas: Let's be clear: our ultimate goal is to bring an NBA championship to the city of Chicago. This is what every team in the NBA strives for, day in and day out. In the end, only one team wins each season, and there are countless factors out of one's control that allow for this goal to be realized. What IS in our control, is our approach and processes behind each decision we make. We will adopt a habit of excellence and as a team, we will expect and demand a lot from each other, in order to rise to the expectations of our fans.
Arturas Karnisovas: My role with the Bulls is an unparalleled professional opportunity; the height of a dream for me. I grew up watching the Chicago Bulls – that team represented American basketball and the NBA to a kid from Lithuania. Like many around the world, I have always held a love for this franchise, which is why it is such an immense privilege to play a role in the revival of this legendary team. Though there will be challenges, these are challenges I feel well prepared for.
Emiliano Carchia: Nuggets Basketball Operations Associate Martynas Pocius may join Arturas Karnisovas to the Chicago Bulls, a source told @Emiliano Carchia
During his interview process, Karnisovas conveyed to ownership that he viewed Paxson as a resource, not a roadblock, sources said — though Paxson only will be used as a sounding board. Karnisovas has full authority on all basketball decisions and already has begun building out the organizational infrastructure with the hire of at least one assistant general manager. Karnisovas also has been compiling a list of general manager candidates and plans to begin the interview process — including requesting permission for candidates currently under contract with other teams — in the near future, sources said.
Gar Forman is expected to pursue scouting opportunities with other teams. Sources said the Bulls planned to offer some form of settlement on the two remaining years on Forman’s contract. Though Forman sometimes rankled some agents and executives with his secretive ways, he has developed a leaguewide reputation as an elite talent evaluator. Drafting Jimmy Butler at No. 30 and Taj Gibson at No. 26 are concrete examples of this.
KC Johnson: Arturas on GM: "I have to hire a person who will complement and not have the same skill set that I do."
KC Johnson: Arturas on using Paxson: "I think right from the start during this hiring process, they were hiring No. 1 decision maker. John has a great reputation around the league and can be an asset. I appreciate his candor. he could be a huge help while I'm making this transition."
KC Johnson: Arturas: "Regarding Gar, after some consideration and conversation, it was apparent that we have different philosophies that will prevent us from moving forward. Those decisions are never easy. I was hired to affect change."
KC Johnson: Michael Reinsdorf also confirms that John Paxson came to ownership in December to address need for change in front office and that Reinsdorf began viewing other organizations' leadership structures at that time.
Joe Cowley: Michael Reinsdorf confirms Sun-Times story that John Paxson was willing to step down if asked.
Shams Charania: After 22 years in the Chicago Bulls organization, GM Gar Forman has been fired.
KC Johnson: Gar Forman in statement: "It has been an honor and a privilege to work for the Chicago Bulls for more than two decades. There is no better ownership group in professional sports than the Reinsdorfs, and I want to thank Jerry and Michael for their support during my tenure."
Chris Haynes: Chicago Bulls announce John Paxson is moving into a new role as Senior Advisor of Basketball Operations.
KC Johnson: More Paxson: "I’ve always tried to do what was best for our organization and put our team in position to succeed, and ultimately compete. I know Arturas will do the same. He brings the kind of talent, experience and commitment to collaboration that will allow him to succeed."
Joe Cowley: Karnisovas hiring made official - "This is the height of a dream for me, and I am prepared for the challenge that it presents,” Karnisovas said in a statement. “I grew up watching the Chicago Bulls. They represented American basketball and the NBA to a kid from Lithuania.''
Michael Singer: Nuggets president of basketball operations Tim Connelly on departure of AK to Chicago: “It’s a bittersweet moment as we are losing a trusted colleague and a best friend, but we are so unbelievably proud of Arturas. He’s going to be an absolute home run hire for the Bulls.”
Darnell Mayberry: The Bulls make the Arturas Karnisovas hire official, announcing him as executive vice president of basketball operations in a press release. A formal press conference will be held at a later date.
KC Johnson: In statement, Bulls president Michael Reinsdorf calls Karnisovas "one of the most respected basketball executives in the NBA."
As of Saturday, Karnisovas had no definite plans to meet with current coach Jim Boylen, said a source, but that doesn’t mean it won’t happen. The front office build-out is priority No. 1, but the NBA can announce a shutdown of the regular season at any point, and it would only be fair to let Boylen and his staff know if they need to start looking elsewhere or would be returning.
The whispers, rumors, and speculation concerning the newly-hired Bulls head executive slowed down on Saturday, with one source saying Karnisovas was still talking to potential general-manager candidates, getting permission about possible interviews, and scheduling times.
Mike McGraw: One name I’ve heard for potential #Bulls GM is Dell Demps, former Pelicans GM. Lot of ties with JJ Polk and Tim Connnelly, who hired Karnisovas in Denver. Former DePaul forward David Booth also has ties to that crew.
KC Johnson: Wrote this but bears repeating: Bulls' focus is on building front office, not coach, for now, particularly with normal NBA calendar/offseason rhythm disrupted by COVID-19. Would expect further dialogue between Arturas Karnisovas and Jim Boylen.
Reinsdorf has been doing his due diligence for more than a year and privately said that when the time came to act, money would not be an issue. A source said that Karnisovas didn’t come cheap from Denver, but the negotiation was never even an issue. It’s a sign of how things have changed with Bulls ownership, especially in light of the reputation chairman Jerry Reinsdorf had earned as a tough negotiator.
Joe Cowley: Obviously nothing is decided on the coaching front and Jim Boylen's future yet, but there's been a lot of smoke around Adrian Griffin and the Bulls today. One exec told me Griff is so ready that he's "over-qualified" for most coaching jobs. Carlos Douglas Jr.: There are connections between Artruas Karnisovas & Adrian Griffin. Both are members of Seton Hall's HOF. Some #Bulls execs have alot of respect for Griff, who played in Chicago & also was a assistant for Thibs staff in CHI. If AK snipers Jim Boylen, im sure Griff will get a call.
Joe Cowley: OKC's Troy Weaver, Dallas' Michael Finley, Denver's Calvin Booth, OKC's Nazi Mohammed, and Orlando's Matt Lloyd are all in play for Bulls GM job, said a source. Booth might be the most ready - but hardest to get, while the source said Mohammed may end up being a gem.
In a rare interview, Michael Reinsdorf said his months-long process to assemble his short list for the head of basketball operations position finished with six names. Two of those candidates, both of whom Reinsdorf said the Bulls were denied permission to interview, represented diversity. “To have the Chicago Bulls put in the light that we are a racist organization, it hurts. And what it means is people don’t understand how we operate or the process we went through to hire our head of basketball operations,” Reinsdorf said.
Michael Reinsdorf: “Diversity is incredibly important to me. It’s incredibly important to our organization. It’s something that we pay attention to every day. Every time we go through a hiring process on the business side or the basketball side, we include diverse candidates. Every time. We do that because it’s smart. The only way you can have diversity of thought is by having diverse people in our organization.”
In the interview, Michael Reinsdorf acknowledged he could have added a diverse candidate to his short list once he was denied permission to interview two candidates. He said he didn’t do so because he didn’t want to be “disingenuous” and because he took so long to carefully assemble his original list. “We didn’t want to interview 12 or 13 people,” Reinsdorf said. “I spent a lot of time on this beforehand. I knew the five or six people that I wanted to approach.”
Adrian Wojnarowski: Sources: Arturas Karnisovas is planning to start discussing Chicago’s GM job with candidates soon, a pool that’s expected to include several assistant GM’s: Calvin Booth (Denver), Marc Eversley (Sixers), Mark Hughes (Clippers) and Matt Lloyd (Magic) — among others.
Adrian Wojnarowski: Bulls will start calling for permission on hiring the GM to work with Karnisovas and those interviews will start in short order, per sources. Booth is a serious candidate for promotion to replace Karnisovas as GM in Denver.
Adrian Wojnarowski: ESPN Sources: Another candidate in serious talks to join Arturas Karnisovas' front office with the Chicago Bulls: Denver scout Pat Connelly, who was previously an assistant GM with Suns.
Adrian Wojnarowski: Connelly -- with a strong background in player personnel -- is moving quickly toward joining a reshaped Chicago front office that already includes New Orleans executive J.J. Polk, as @KCJHoop reported. Formal Bulls announcement on Karnisovas' hiring could come as early as today.
In the wake of Karnisovas’ departure, part of the delay in announcing it is because there remains the possibility that some of Denver’s staffers could go with him to Chicago, a league source says. There’s not a uniform approach across the entire NBA, but the Nuggets believe heavily in allowing executives to further their careers if it means a significant upgrade in role or title.
Karnisovas, who was the only candidate to get multiple interviews the past few days – including a final conversation with chairman Jerry Reinsdorf – will be replacing John Paxson. A source said that Paxson will move into an advisory role, still being a sounding board for the Reinsdorfs — Jerry and Michael — and would only offer opinions in basketball matters if Karnisovas asks. This is completely Karnisovas’ show, and an important one.
Karnisovas will have full decision making over basketball operations, including the futures of Forman, head coach Jim Boylen, and the entire coaching staff. He was even asked about Paxson, and had the option of having the organization move on from the long-time Bulls executive if that’s what he desired. However, a source indicated that Karnisovas had no issues with the Reinsdorfs keeping Paxson around.
There were multiple reports that the search angered a handful of African American executives around the league, who felt like people of color weren’t involved in the searching process by the Bulls. A source close to the situation, however, indicated that not only did Michael Reinsdorf reach out to multiple minority candidates to try and get interviews – but was denied permission to do so by their current organizations, and in some cases simply turned down.
