CHICAGO — The Chicago Bulls made a significant front office change Monday, dismissing executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas and general manager Marc Eversley after six seasons that yielded only a single postseason berth.
The organization completely overhauled its roster ahead of the February trade deadline, but Karnisovas and Eversley will not oversee the franchise’s rebuilding efforts moving forward.
During their leadership, the Bulls compiled a 224-254 record. The team currently holds the 12th position in the Eastern Conference with a 29-49 record and faces its fourth consecutive season without playoff basketball.
In a released statement, President and CEO Michael Reinsdorf acknowledged that Karnisovas and Eversley “led with a deep commitment to the Chicago Bulls” while explaining the decision centers on “positioning our team for sustained success moving ahead.”
“I want our fans to know that I hear you and understand your frustration,” Reinsdorf stated. “I feel it as well. I know this will take time, and I am fully committed to getting this right. 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 franchise dismantled its roster before February’s trade deadline, sending Nikola Vucevic to Boston, Kevin Huerter to Detroit, Coby White to Charlotte and hometown player Ayo Dosunmu to Minnesota in hopes of escaping years of mediocrity. The organization retained Matas Buzelis and Josh Giddey as potential building blocks and now possesses significant salary cap flexibility for summer moves.
“Being in the middle is what we don’t want to do,” Karnisovas explained during the trade period. “I think we’ve seen that for the past four years and we want to change that.”
However, mediocrity largely defined the franchise since Karnisovas arrived from Denver’s organization in April 2020. The Bulls added Eversley from Philadelphia several weeks afterward and brought in head coach Billy Donovan that September. Donovan’s employment status remains unclear.
The organization’s sole playoff run under Karnisovas and Eversley occurred in 2021-22, when they secured sixth place in the Eastern Conference at 46-36 before Milwaukee eliminated them in round one. Point guard Lonzo Ball suffered a season-ending knee injury that year and remained sidelined for the following two campaigns.
DeMar DeRozan’s 2023 selection marked Chicago’s most recent All-Star representation. The absence of a franchise centerpiece became increasingly apparent, and Karnisovas’ hesitation to pursue a comprehensive rebuild frustrated the fanbase. Instead of maximizing lottery odds, he emphasized patience and gradual progress.
This approach shifted dramatically when Karnisovas executed seven deals before this year’s deadline. The Bulls primarily collected second-round selections without acquiring any first-round picks.
Detroit’s Jaden Ivey represented one notable acquisition, as the organization hoped the 2022 fifth overall selection could return to pre-surgery form. However, the Bulls released him last week following anti-LGBTQ+ religious comments he posted on Instagram.
Ivey had been unavailable since February 11th and played only four games in Chicago. His contract was scheduled to expire at season’s end.
Donovan received a contract extension last summer but could pursue other NBA opportunities or return to collegiate coaching if Chicago moves in a different direction.
The coach holds a 467-411 record across 11 NBA seasons. He was considered the premier available candidate when the Bulls hired him in September 2020, replacing the dismissed Jim Boylen after five successful years in Oklahoma City. He guided the Thunder to a 243-157 record with annual playoff appearances while coaching stars including Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, Paul George and Chris Paul.
Before his professional career, Donovan spent 19 seasons at the University of Florida, capturing consecutive NCAA championships. The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame inducted him this past September.
