The Bulls made a “somewhat unexpected hire to lead the next rebuild,” naming Hawks SVP/Basketball Operations Bryson Graham as their EVP/Basketball Operations. Graham has been in his position with the Hawks for less than two years, after a long run working for the Pelicans. There was “heavy speculation in recent days” that T’Wolves GM Matt Lloyd “was the frontrunner” for the Bulls job (Chicago DAILY HERALD, 5/4). Graham reportedly “stole the show in the in-person interview process.” Graham comes to the Bulls “on a bit of a hot streak as far as front offices go,” as he “did a complete overhaul” to the Hawks’ front office. Graham’s hiring follows the Bulls’ firing of EVP/Basketball Operations Arturas Karnisovas and GM Marc Eversley last month (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 5/4).
The Bulls used search firm ZRG Turnkey to “help with the hiring process.” Now that the Bulls have hired Graham, “one of the biggest questions many league observers have” is whether Bulls President & CEO Michael Reinsdorf will “spend on the necessary infrastructure to surround Graham’s staff with elite talent.” Graham’s arrival gives Reinsdorf the “chance to not only give his front office a completely new look but to change the narrative that has dogged the organization for years about not spending at a high enough level to compete every year” (THE ATHLETIC, 5/4).
