First 6 Names Revealed in Chicago Bulls Front Office Search

The Chicago Bulls have reportedly put together their initial list of front office candidates. According to ESPN's Shams Charania, they have received permission to speak with five current NBA executives. One of the biggest rumors has also seemingly been confirmed, as they plan to interview one of the NBA's top agents.

Let's quickly break down who was included in Charania's list. Remember, this doesn't necessarily mean the hire will be one of these names. The list could always grow in the coming days. Plus, it's unlikely that plans to poach any franchise's No. 1 executive would be made public, even if the chance of that happening is likely low.

Note: Every franchise handles its senior positions differently. For instance, you might see names that currently hold the same title as the now-fired Arturas Karnisovas, but this doesn't mean they are at the top of the totem pole inside their organizations. Everyone below is considered No. 2 with their current team or below.

Oct 2, 2023; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bulls head coach Billy Donovan (right) speaks with Bulls president and chief operating officer Michael Reinsdorf during Chicago Bulls Media Day at Advocate Center. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | David Banks-Imagn Images

Matt Lloyd – GM, Timberwolves

The current second in command for the Minnesota Timberwolves, Matt Lloyd was widely expected to be near the top of the Chicago Bulls' interview list due to his prior connections with the franchise. Lloyd spent nearly 13 years with the organization in various roles, working his way up to the director of college scouting before leaving the Bulls in 2012.

He proceeded to join the Orlando Magic as an assistant GM, where he eventually became the senior VP of basketball operations. This led to his current gig with the Minnesota Timberwolves as Tim Connelly's right-hand man. The question now is whether the Bulls really want to hire Connelly's No. 2 for the second time in a row? One of the most respected voices in the NBA, it's hard to know how much of the Timberwolves recent Western Conference Finals success falls on his shoulders vs. Lloyd's.

Dennis Lindsey – Pistons, VP Baskebtall Ops

Dennis Lindsey has been around the block. Currently working alongside Trajan Langdon in Detroit, he joined the franchise in 2024 and has helped take them from bottom-feeder to the East's No. 1 seed. Over the years, Lindsey has worked in a variety of roles, which include both lead executive and senior advisor.

The majority of his career was spent with the Utah Jazz, as he had two separate stints with the organization. He was most notably their lead executive during their repeated playoff runs in the late 2010s. Lindsey was responsible for building the consistently competitive core around Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert. He also brought in Quin Snyder to lead the way.

Lindsey eventually transitioned to being an advisor in the Jazz front office before taking the same role with the Dallas Mavericks in 2023-24 (the same year they made the NBA Finals).

Bryson Graham – Hawks, VP Basketball Ops

Bryson Graham is a younger executive who only recently stepped into a big role with the Atlanta Hawks. He is currently their senior vice president of basketball operations, working in tandem with the recently-hired Onsi Saleh.

This is his first season with the franchise, and he has been part of some significant adjustments. This has included moving on from Trae Young and centering the team around emerging forward Jalen Johnson. The Hawks had an extremely strong post-All-Star break run to clinch the No. 6 seed and avoid the Play-In Tournament.

Before finding his way to Atlanta, Graham built up his career as part of the New Orleans Pelicans. He started as an intern and worked his way up to their second in command.

Mike Gansey – Cavaliers, GM

The Cleveland Cavaliers have become one of the East's most competitive franchises, and Mike Gansey has been there through all the recent success.

Kolby Altman has been leading the way since 2021-22, and he immediately brought Gansey along with him to be second in command. While the Cavs missed the postseason in their first year at the helm, they have held a winning record in every season and made four consecutive trips to the playoffs. Their last two trips have been to the second round, and they remain on track to do that again in 2025-26.

Before taking over as GM, Gansey was in charge of the organization's G League affiliate. Overall, he has spent the entirety of his executive career inside the Cavaliers system. He started in 2012 as the director of development league operations.

Dave Telep – Spurs, Assistant GM

Dave Telep is one of the current assistant general managers for the San Antonio Spurs. One of the NBA's most successful franchises since the turn of the century, it comes as little surprise that the Chicago Bulls are making a push to speak to a member of their braintrust.

Telep has been with the Spurs since 2013, where he started as a scouting coordinator, per RealGM. He has moved up the ranks over the years, holding the senior VP of basketball operations job before taking on the assistant GM gig just before this past season. Interestingly enough, Telep was also a senior national basketball recruiting analyst for ESPN prior to joining the Spurs. In other words, an eye for talent has always been one of his specialties.

Austin Brown – CAA, Agent

This is not the first time we have talked about Austin Brown. A current super agent for CAA, he has reportedly been on the organization's radar since the start. Never holding an executive position inside the NBA, we have seen more and more teams begin to reward the league's best agents with a leadership position. In fact, several of the other big market franchises have gone this route, including the Warriors (Bob Myers), Knicks (Leon Rose), and Lakers (Rob Pelinka).

Of course, there is certainly a level of risk involved with going after someone who has not been through the system. But the Bulls have been in need of someone who thinks outside the box. Not to mention, few folks the Bulls speak to will have more connections around the NBA than Brown. Some of his top clients include Cooper Flagg, Donovan Mitchell, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Trae Young.

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