Chicago Bulls Fire Front Office Leaders Arturas Karnisovas & Marc Eversley

The Chicago Bulls are cleaning house.

The organization announced on Monday that they have officially fired executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas. General manager Marc Eversley – who was second in command – has also been dismissed. The announcement comes after growing speculation over the last week-plus that a front office overhaul could be in order.

Michael Reinsdorf, son of Jerry Reinsdorf and acting president and chief executive officer, released a statement on the sweeping change:

“Arturas and Marc have led with a deep commitment to the Chicago Bulls. These decisions are never easy, especially when they involve people we respect both personally and professionally. We are grateful for their dedication and the work they’ve put in one the past six years. At the same time, we have not had the success our fans deserve, and it’s my responsibility to go in a new direction. This move is about positioning our team for sustained success moving ahead.

I want our fans to know that I hear you and understand your frustration. 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 Chicago Bulls have somewhat surprisingly made this franchise-altering move with four games left in the regular season. Their final game of the 2025-26 regular season will be on April 12 in Dallas.

Chicago Bulls Officially Gut Their Front Office

Apr 22, 2022; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bulls executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas (right) talks with general manager Marc Eversley (left) before game three of the first round for the 2022 NBA playoffs against the Milwaukee Bucks at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

The Chicago Bulls answered the pleas of many fans on Monday with their major front office overhaul. Cries were only growing louder for both Arturas Karnisovas and Marc Eversley to be relieved of their duties, as the franchise slipped further into national irrelevancy. Under the guidance of both, the Bulls reached one playoff series in 2021-22, where they lost to the Milwaukee Bucks in a barely competitive five-game set.

While the Bulls would try to remain in the postseason conversation in the coming years, they would repeatedly land in the middle. The franchise made three consecutive Play-In Tournament appearances, falling to the Miami Heat in each one. They were on an eerily similar track this year despite moving off some of their veteran talent, which ultimately led to the explosive trade deadline on February 5.

Karnisovas and Eversley may have finally chosen to go in a new direction, but it did anything but garner respect. They added multiple veterans in the process and failed to add any first round draft capital for players like Ayo Dosunmu and Coby White. Meanwhile, frustration grew among fans as head coach Billy Donovan proceeded to play some of those veterans over the team's new youngsters.

Then, of course, there was the recent Jaden Ivey drama. The team seemed to view him as a key get at the deadline, only to waive him a little over a month later due to conduct detrimental to the team. This included Ivey going on a livestream and condeming the LGBTQ community and the NBA's celebration of Pride Night.

Indeed, while the Bulls have long been the butt of the job, the negative headlines had only surged in recent weeks. It was impossible for ownership to ignore, particularly as the reality of another lost season settled in.

So, what comes next? K.C. Johnson of Chicago Sports Network reports that the Bulls will hold an extensive search for their next front office leader. In the meantime, senior advisors like John Paxson, Brian Hagen, Pat Connelly, and JJ Polk will continue to oversee the day-to-day operations.

One has to imagine the organization's list of candidates will be steep, and one has to wonder if former Golden State executive Bob Myers could be on the list. Out of the game for a handful of years, would the Bulls be willing to pay up to bring one of the top minds back to the sport? More importantly, would the allure of taking a prestigious Bulls franchise back to the top be enough to convince him to take the job?

We also shouldn't take our eye off the Billy Donovan situation. The head coach saw the North Carolina job given to Mike Malone on Monday, and Marc Stein has reported that the Bulls hope to keep him in the mix. Might a Brad Stevens approach be on the table? For what it's worth, Donovan certainly seems like someone who would still be very interested in coaching. Whether or not Chicago makes sense for him anymore, however, is a question that should also be answered in the coming days.

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