The Bulls couldn’t wait until the offseason to start a new era.
Chicago fired executive vice president of basketball operations Artūras Karnišovas and GM Marc Eversley on Monday, just six days before the final day of the 2025–26 NBA regular season. The duo, hired in 2020, led the Bulls to just one playoff berth.
Bulls president and CEO Michael Reinsdorf, son of longtime owner Jerry Reinsdorf, released a statement alongside the announcement.
“We are grateful for their dedication and the work they’ve put in over the past six years,” Reinsdorf said. “At the same time, we have not had the success our fans deserve, and it’s my responsibility to go in a new direction. This move is about positioning our team for sustained success moving ahead.”
Reinsdorf also acknowledged the growing frustration from Bulls fans.
“I feel it as well,” Reinsdorf said in the statement. “I know this will take time, and I am fully committed to getting this right.”
Chicago fans and talking heads have grown frustrated with the direction of the team’s front office and ownership over the last several years.
Despite missing the playoffs for most of the Karnišovas–Eversley tenure, the Bulls have won enough games every year to significantly lower their odds of securing a top NBA draft pick. Chicago has struggled to secure a true franchise player and, unless it gets lucky, that trend will likely continue this offseason as the Bulls are poised to have the ninth-best odds at the top pick.
Patrick Williams, their lone top-5 pick since Derrick Rose in 2008, is only a fringe rotation player. Nevertheless, he still signed a five-year, $90 million extension in 2024 that runs until the 2028–29 season.
The latest front office misstep came at the February trade deadline with the acquisition of Jaden Ivey from the Pistons. The No. 5 pick of the 2022 draft played just four games before being waived last week for “conduct detrimental to the team” after making anti-LGBTQ comments on multiple livestreams.
The Chicago Sun-Times reported that Detroit had some knowledge that Ivey had shown signs of the behavior that ultimately led to the Bulls cutting him. It’s unclear whether Karnišovas and Eversley were aware of Ivey’s behavior before the trade, but head coach Billy Donovan told reporters last week that he “wasn’t privy” to the trade conversations.
With Karnišovas and Eversley out, the focus shifts to Donovan, as the two-time NCAA national champion was hired by the outgoing front office in 2020. ESPN reported Monday that the Bulls want to keep Donovan in Chicago.
Multiple reports indicated that Donovan was under consideration for the UNC coaching position, but he wanted to wait until the end of the season to make a decision. The Tar Heels are expected to fill the role with former NBA champion coach Michael Malone.
Donovan told reporters last Wednesday that this Bulls season was one of the most difficult in his coaching career.
“This is probably the most I’ve dealt with personally in terms of the injuries and in terms of the trade deadline,” Donovan said.
