Will the Mavericks' New Front Office Hire Change the Chicago Bulls' Search?

And then there was one ...

The Chicago Bulls now stand alone as the only NBA franchise currently in the hunt for new front office leadership. While they looked well-positioned to hire their next head of basketball operations before the Dallas Mavericks, the Western Conference organization made a splash on Monday. The team is officially set to hire Masai Ujiri as their new leading man.

Of course, Ujiri climbed the NBA ranks with the Toronto Raptors, leading them to their first-ever title during the 2019 season. His time spent building the Raptors into a consistent playoff threat made him one of the league's top executives. This is precisely why he felt destined to eventually find a new home in the wake of his dismissal one offseason ago.

Ujiri's name was an easy one to throw out when the Bulls' job opened up a few weeks back. However, he never emerged as a serious option, as the Bulls have largely prioritized up-and-coming executives in their search.

With that said, there was one name attached to the job in Dallas who has also been closely tied to the Bulls. While there were some mixed reports, Dennis Lindsey appeared to be part of the Mavericks' hunt. Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix even referred to Lindsey on Monday as the other finalist. The former lead executive for the Utah Jazz has also been among the top candidates for the Bulls' job, advancing to the final stage this past week.

Is Dennis Lindsey Still in the Running for Bulls' Job?

Oct 30, 2017; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Utah Jazz general manager Dennis Lindsey (left) talks with Dallas Mavericks assistant coach Melvin Hunt (right) prior to a game at Vivint Smart Home Arena. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-Imagn Images | Russ Isabella-Imagn Images

The Mavericks may have beaten the Chicago Bulls to the punch, but a decision appears to be on the horizon for the Reinsdorfs. Recent reports have heavily connected Minnesota's Matt Lloyd to the position. There is a growing belief that he will be named Chicago's new No. 1 early this week.

At the same time, there have also been rumors that the Bulls could look to snag a couple of their current finalists. While most have assumed this second hire could be a young "wiz kid" like the Celtics' Dave Lewin, Lindsey has grown very familiar with working in a collaborative environment in recent years. After moving on from Utah, he was a senior advisor in Dallas during their final run before accepting a secondary role with the Detroit Pistons before last season.

Especially if Lindsey put most of his eggs in the Mavericks basket, it's hard not to wonder if he could now be more willing to accept a role in Chicago. Of course, the Pistons would likely be happy to keep him as their right-hand man to Trajan Langdon, and their success could continue to make that an attractive role. But what if the Bulls offered him slightly more power or a pay raise?

Heck, there is also something to be said about the fact that Lloyd hasn't put pen to paper yet. Lindsey's camp could now push even harder for the Bulls' top job, forcing the Reinsdorfs to reconsider. He certainly has the experience on his side. Out of all Bulls finalists, he was the only one with a proven track record as the primary decision-maker. What he was able to do with the Jazz in the late 2010s and early 2020s is hard to ignore.

The most likely outcome remains that Matt Lloyd is named the Bulls' new head of basketball operations in the very near future. However, if Lindsey was trying to balance the two job opportunities, the fact that Dallas is now out of the running does make things a little more interesting. If one thing is for sure, though, the clock is ticking louder and louder. The NBA's Draft Lottery is on May 10, and the combine begins the same day. Getting a new front office in place before then remains the goal in Chicago.

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