Bulls Reportedly Name At Least 3 Finalists for Lead Exec Job, Who is the Frontrunner?

The Chicago Bulls front office search took another step forward on Sunday afternoon.

According to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line, the organization has already named three finalists for its lead executive role. Bryson Graham of Atlanta, Dennis Lindsey of Detroit, and Matt Lloyd of Minnesota each interviewed this week virtually and seemingly booked a ticket to a final round. The next step will be for in-person meetings in Chicago this upcoming week, which will also be right before the city becomes the epicenter of the NBA for roughly ten days.

The NBA's Draft Lottery will be held on May 10, while the Draft Combine will also be underway during the second week of May. Not only is this a crucial player evaluation period for NBA teams, but it's a massive opportunity to engage in dialogue with other executives around the league. This is why it's undoubtedly in the Bulls' best interest to have a new head of basketball operations in place ASAP. Whether it be their two Top 15 draft picks or their loads of financial flexibility, the decisions made this summer will be critical to setting them up for long-term success.

Does this guarantee that the Bulls' hire will be one of the three current finalists? Not necessary. It's always possible that this list grows, and let's not forget there was a rumor regarding potential mystery candidates involved. If this happened to be a top executive with another team, it's possible neither side would want that leaked in advance.

With that said, all three of these execs have been part of the process from the beginning. The Bulls clearly have a strong interest in each, and the fact that two of the three have made it this far comes as little surprise. Lloyd was always seen as a potential favorite due to his prior ties to the organization. Likewise, he has become one of the most respected No. 2s in the league during his time building up Minnesota alongside Tim Connelly.

Dennis Lindsey was easily the most proven name on the initial list of candidates. He built the Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert Jazz, turning the organization into a consistent playoff threat. Lindsey was also an advisor during the Mavericks' recent NBA Finals run before joining the Detroit Pistons as the second in command in 2024. What's happened since? The Pistons have gone to back-to-back postseasons and recently earned the East's No. 1 seed.

Bryson Graham is the only true surprise. We recently placed him last in our rankings, as he is the youngest of the known candidates. Graham also spent the majority of his time with the New Orleans Pelicans, who have had their fair share of struggles over the last handful of years.

Nevertheless, Graham has clearly made a strong impression internally. It's hard not to be infatuated with the idea of finding the next young, up-and-coming front office superstar. Who is to say that can't be Graham? He held a wide range of roles while with the Pelicans and has been the No. 2 during this unexpectedly successful Atlanta Hawks campaign.

So, Who is Leading the Pack?

Dec 16, 2023; Miami, Florida, USA; A detailed view of the Chicago Bulls logo on the shorts of Chicago Bulls guard Ayo Dosunmu (12) during the first half against the Miami Heat at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images | Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images

Jake Fischer, unsurprisingly, singled out Matt Lloyd as the Chicago Bulls' "prime" target. He proceeded to mention John Paxson's involvement in the search as a senior advisor and the prior connection the two had built during their time together. Lloyd spent nearly 13 seasons with the Bulls in various roles, including as the director of college scouting, before accepting a higher-up role with the Orlando Magic in 2013.

To be sure, the fact that Paxson has as much say as he does is going to rub many Bulls fans the wrong way. It's certainly not normal to have a previously failed executive involved this heavily in the hiring process. At the same time, Lloyd was instantly mentioned as a reputable target for Chicago the moment the job opened. He has built up enough equity in league circles that top job opportunities will likely continue to come his way.

Speaking of which, the Bulls might be lucky that the Dallas Mavericks represent the only other open gig. Less competition means a much higher probability of landing their top choice. In fact, the only real concern might be if the No. 1 job opens up in Minnesota. Fischer did report that the Mavericks could be going big-game hunting and thus make a push for Tim Connelly. If that suddenly came to fruition, would Lloyd prefer the in-house promotion?

The good news is that the Bulls might be able to lock Lloyd in before any of that transpires. If the plan is to have someone hired before the combine, there is a good chance Minnesota is still in the playoffs. The chance of Connelly entertaining any other job while the season is ongoing is very low.

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