It was not a secret that Chicago’s front office leaders were in a hot seat. On April 6th, it officially became too hot – the Bulls fired executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas and general manager Marc Eversley.
“These decisions are never easy, especially when they involve people we respect both personally and professionally,” said Bulls owner Michael Reinsdorf.
“We are grateful for their dedication and the work they've put in over the past six years. At the same time, we have not had the success our fans deserve, and it's my responsibility to go in a new direction.”
Quick success followed by a bigger fall
Both Karnisovas and Eversley were hired prior to the 2020-2021 season with the goal to revive and elevate the below-average Bulls team that had not made the playoffs since the 2016-2017 season. Early on, the plan showed promise – despite missing out on the postseason, Chicago improved its record. The front office reshaped the roster by adding Nikola Vucevic, Lonzo Ball, DeMar DeRozan, and Alex Caruso.
In their second year, the Bulls posted their first winning record in five seasons and returned to the playoffs. But the success was short-lived. The postseason trip was too quick, as the Milwaukee Bucks ended Chicago’s year-long effort in just five games. The hot start, accompanied by a playoff berth, soon turned into a bittersweet exit.
Since then, the Bulls have been stuck in a ditch of mediocrity, failing every attempt trying to climb out of it. The leadership duo failed to improve the roster over time; instead of making bold moves and trades, the leaders kept committing errors that became harder and harder to undo.
Stuck in the middle
The year following the lone winning season, the front office didn’t make any in-season trades. The Bulls went 40-42, competed in the play-in games, but lost. The following campaign was almost identical – they went 39-43 and missed the postseason after losing in the play-in contests. After the year concluded, the organisation traded Alex Caruso for Josh Giddey in what was seen as a controversial, far-from-ideal swap.
The trade proved ineffective soon, as the Bulls tallied the exact same number of wins as the year prior. And for the third straight time, Chicago lost in the play-in tournament and missed out on postseason activities. The fact that nothing was going to change became a writing on the wall that every fan could read.
But here’s the catch – despite the mediocre and often predictable performances, the fans kept attending the home games. In 2020-2021, the league returned to its regular 82-game format after the coronavirus pandemic, and the Bulls topped the attendance chart. They ranked first in ticket sales, averaging 20,881 fans per home game, which accounts for 99.8% of the United Center.
The organisation kept the attendance crown for four straight seasons.
There’s no evidence supporting the claim that Karnisovas and Eversley didn’t make many changes and hesitated to shake things up because the fans kept filling the arena. But one can wonder about the correlation between the lack of movement and sold-out seats. Why change anything if the team sells the most tickets in the league?
Eventually, the home base support cooled off. Last year, the Bulls fell to fourth place in league attendance. After all, the team remained the same. And this season, the situation was only getting worse. The beginning sparked hopes for improvement, as the Bulls kicked off the October start with five straight victories. But injuries started piling up, and by January, Chicago was back to its traditional 0.500 mark.
Last chance
At the trade deadline, the leadership attempted, for the Bulls’ standards, unusual player changes. The seismic move left the roster in shambles, as the front office dealt away a significant portion of established playmakers, including fan-favourites Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu. In addition, they traded away Nikola Vucetic. Overall, Chicago sent seven players elsewhere.
Karnisovas labeled the trades as “necessary to get out of the middle.” But the gamble backfired. Immediately after the roster teardown, the Bulls went 0-4. It’s April now, and they have won just five games since attempting to escape mediocrity – a disastrous number of victories that left fans pounding their fists against a wall.
The Bulls currently sit in 12th place in the Eastern Conference; their record is 30-49, and they have officially been eliminated from the playoffs. What was meant to be an attempt to save the season proved to be a catalyst for its destruction.
And the adversity didn’t end there. Kevin Huerter, a veteran guard, averaged 10.9 points per game for the Bulls this season before they traded him for Jaden Ivey. Ivey only played in four games before suffering a season-ending injury, but he tallied 11.5 points, 4.8 rebounds, and four assists per game.
The future looked bright, at least. A healthy, young, hungry shooting guard could have given Chicago an offensive edge and perimeter depth next season.
Drama surrounds guard
Could have. The Bulls waived Ivey on March 30th, for conduct detrimental to the team. It happened hours after Ivey went live on his Instagram and spoke about religion and other topics in multiple lengthy videos. His speech included anti-gay sentiments as he called out the NBA for promoting Pride Month and celebrating the LGBTQ+ community. Ivey stated that by such moves, the league celebrates unrighteousness.
After learning about his dismissal, Ivey went back on social media and addressed the situation. “The Bulls said my conduct is detrimental to the team. Why didn't they just say, ‘We don't agree with his stance on LGBTQ?’ Why didn't they say that? How is it conduct detrimental to the team? What did I do to the team? What did I do to the players?”
Ivey is yet to be picked up by another team, so he is currently without a contract. He is set to be a free agent this summer. “There's a certain level of expectations and standards that are here,” head coach Billy Donovan said.
“Everybody comes with their own personal experiences, right? But we have to all be professional, there has to be a high level of respect for one another, and we've got to help each other and be accountable to those standards.”
Ownership intervened
The drama accompanied by constant losing was the last nail in the front office’s coffin. There was a growing disconnect creeping through the organisation, and the chances for saving the season were long gone. So, the ownership took the fate of Chicago into its own hands. The front office shake-up was inevitable, and there was no point in waiting until the year officially ends.
“I want our fans to know that I hear you and understand your frustration. I feel it as well. I know this will take time, and I am fully committed to getting this right,” said Reinsdorf. “At the Chicago Bulls, our focus remains on building a team that can compete at the highest level and ultimately contend for championships. We are committed to taking the necessary steps to move the Bulls forward in a way that makes our fans proud.”
The sudden earthquake in the leadership positions only declares the severity and hopelessness of the situation, as the Bulls don’t make front office changes very often. Before the organisation hired Karnisovas in 2020, John Paxson had served in the role since 2009. The search for new leaders began immediately with the goal of finally escaping the average.