The Chicago Bulls have no plans to replace executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas as the team’s lead front office executive, a source tells NBA reporter Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times.
According to Cowley, general manager Marc Eversley and head coach Billy Donovan are also considered safe in their roles.
Despite the Bulls’ continued struggles to break out of the middle of the pack in recent seasons, team ownership has reiterated a “reoccurring edict” to fix the roster, Cowley reports.
However, chairman Jerry Reinsdorf and president Michael Reinsdorf continue to support Karnisovas, believing he remains the right person to lead the team’s front office.
Donovan, meanwhile, has earned praise from both the front office and ownership for his work this season. Cowley notes that the veteran head coach has been instrumental in transforming the Bulls’ offense, with the team ranking third in the NBA in pace in 2024-25 after finishing 28th a year ago.
Additionally, Bulls management has taken note of Donovan’s strong relationships within the locker room.
Karnisovas, who was hired by the Bulls in 2020, made his first in-season trade earlier this month, sending Zach LaVine to the Sacramento Kings in exchange for reacquiring Chicago’s 2025 first-round pick.
The trade marked the end of LaVine’s tenure with the Bulls after he spent over a year on the trade block. The move also undid part of the previous front-office strategy, including LaVine’s maximum-salary contract and the 2022 acquisition of DeMar DeRozan, which involved giving up that same 2025 first-round pick.
Although the Bulls did not make additional moves at last Thursday’s trade deadline, including holding onto Nikola Vucevic, the team now controls its 2025 first-round pick and is well-positioned to add another young player to a growing core that includes rookie forward Matas Buzelis.
While Karnisovas expressed hope that the team can make a playoff push, the Bulls’ front office is reportedly focused on maximizing its draft position, although they cannot publicly acknowledge this goal.
The Bulls’ recent struggles, including a four-game losing streak with an average margin of defeat of 24.5 points, suggest the front office’s strategy may be working in the short term.
With a 22-33 record, the Bulls have the eighth-worst record in the NBA and are only 1.5 games ahead of the 20-34 Philadelphia 76ers and Brooklyn Nets.