Chicago Bulls’ Rebuilding Strategy: A New Dawn for the Windy City
At the head of a row of cubicles sit the offices of Arturas Karnisovas and Marc Eversley, the Chicago Bulls' vice president of basketball operations and general manager, respectively. Overlooking the basketball courts below, their offices are a vantage point for observing the team they meticulously constructed. With sliding glass doors opening to an indoor balcony, the setting embodies transparency—a fitting metaphor for their approach to rebuilding the Bulls.
Karnisovas has been actively seeking input from other members of the front office, as well as coaches and players, in executing a new vision for the team. Despite his efforts, for the second consecutive season, the Bulls have been eliminated on the road by the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference play-in tournament, missing the playoffs for the sixth time in the past seven years and the third time in Karnisovas' four-year tenure. In a heartfelt press conference, Karnisovas declared he took "full responsibility" for the Bulls' underperformance.
Key Roster Changes
The Bulls made bold moves this off-season: letting DeMar DeRozan find another home in free agency, trading away Alex Caruso, and allowing Andre Drummond to walk. They replaced these seasoned veterans with younger talent such as Josh Giddey, Matas Buzelis, and Jalen Smith. According to Marc Eversley, "We've gone young. We've got players who are experienced and give us a greater opportunity to have a longer runway for sustainability to winning meaningful games for a longer time."
While DeRozan maintained throughout the season that he wanted to stay in Chicago, the Bulls eventually traded Caruso to the Oklahoma City Thunder for Giddey. They also agreed to a sign-and-trade with the Kings, who offered DeRozan a new three-year, $74 million contract.
Eversley spoke highly of DeRozan's tenure: "I love DeMar. He was terrific for our organization the last three years. But I don't think we were in a position to deliver what he was looking for going forward. He wants to win. He deserves an opportunity to win at a really high level. And arguably, we're not in that situation right now. As much as it hurt to let him go, I'm extremely happy for him." In his farewell, DeRozan reciprocated the sentiment: "A thank you would be an understatement. The love, passion and joy you filled me with for three seasons was a dream. It gave me a drive every night to return the feeling."
Coaching and Team Dynamics
Chicago saw significant shifts on the coaching front as well. Mo Cheeks, Chris Fleming, and Josh Longstaff departed from their roles, making way for Wes Unseld Jr. and Dan Craig. Eversley emphasized that these changes signal a new era for the Bulls, stating, "We've promised change and we think we've executed that. I think the changes being made at all levels of the organization are positive ones. Now it's time to put in the work and see if some of those changes are going to be fruitful or not."
In a significant setback, Zach LaVine had season-ending surgery in February but has fully recovered and is set to start the season on time. His relationship with head coach Billy Donovan has been strained, with a source close to the team commenting, "He's never won, he's done it his way the whole way and never won. If he's interested in winning, he'll do what's asked of him. And if he's motivated to not be here, one way is to come, be compliant and be who he is."
Eversley shared his optimism about LaVine’s return: "The most unfortunate situation for Zach last year was that he got hurt. Coming out of camp, he wasn't right. Him going down early in the season proved that. When he came back, he was pretty good and the team was pretty good. Small sample size, but we can build off that. Simply put, we're looking forward to having him come back to training camp and joining the team." Coby White, a beacon of growth, finished second in the voting for the NBA's Most Improved Player award, adding a bright spot to the team’s narrative.
Looking Forward
For the first time in nearly 40 years, the Bulls held their training camp outside of Chicago, this time gathering on the campus of Belmont University in Nashville. As they approached the trade deadline with a 24-27 record, the Bulls prioritized making the play-in tournament for the second consecutive season instead of offloading veteran talent. They held onto Drummond and Caruso initially, signaling their commitment to remaining competitive.
Karnisovas summed up their ambitious vision, saying, "We need to have a summer like 2021." Indeed, with a youthful roster, recalibrated leadership, and a determination to reclaim their former glory, the Chicago Bulls appear to be in the early stages of a promising new chapter.