AT THE HEAD of a row of offices overlooking the basketball courts, Arturas Karnisovas and Marc Eversley, the Chicago Bulls' vice president of basketball operations and general manager, respectively, steer the future of a team that has faced significant challenges in recent years. Their vantage point, featuring sliding glass doors that open to an indoor balcony, is symbolic of their oversight of a franchise in transition.
Karnisovas has actively sought input from the front office, coaches, and players to reshape the Bulls’ destiny. This vision became more urgent after the Bulls were eliminated on the road by the Miami Heat for the second consecutive season 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, served as a critical turning point.
In a press conference, Karnisovas took "full responsibility" for the team’s shortcomings. Subsequently, the Bulls underwent a major overhaul. DeMar DeRozan left in free agency, Alex Caruso was traded, and Andre Drummond was allowed to walk. In their stead, younger talents such as Josh Giddey, Matas Buzelis, and Jalen Smith were brought in, signaling a clear strategic shift towards youth.
Marc Eversley explained the rationale: "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."
This past season, Coby White emerged as a bright spot, finishing second in the voting for the NBA's Most Improved Player award. Additionally, the Bulls held training camp outside Chicago for the first time in nearly 40 years, choosing the campus of Belmont University in Nashville as their base, a move that fueled speculation about fostering a fresh team chemistry.
Despite a 24-27 record at the trade deadline, the Bulls prioritized making the play-in tournament for the second consecutive season instead of offloading their experienced assets. They ultimately decided to keep Drummond and Caruso, with DeRozan consistently expressing his desire to remain in Chicago.
However, change was inevitable. Caruso was eventually traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder for Giddey, while DeRozan was part of a sign-and-trade deal with the Kings that landed him a three-year, $74 million contract.
"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," DeRozan said in his farewell message to the Chicago fans.
Eversley acknowledged the bittersweet nature of DeRozan’s departure: "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."
The Bulls are also dealing with internal challenges. Zach LaVine underwent season-ending surgery in February but is expected to be ready for the upcoming season. His relationship with coach Billy Donovan has been rocky at times, an issue that the organization hopes to address moving forward.
"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," Eversley said.
Coaching changes have also been part of the Bulls' revamp. Mo Cheeks, Chris Fleming, and Josh Longstaff departed, with Wes Unseld Jr. and Dan Craig stepping in to fill the void. These changes represent the broader shift in the organization's approach and the emphasis on new leadership to drive future success.
The Bulls owe their 2025 first-round draft pick to the Spurs, but it is top-10 protected, offering some hope for retaining valuable assets. Marc Eversley remains optimistic about the direction the team is heading: "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."
For the Chicago Bulls, this season marks a new chapter filled with cautious optimism and a firm commitment to building a sustainable, winning future.