Bulls Reset After Years of Mediocrity
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- Bryson Graham was named vice president of basketball operations for the Chicago Bulls in April, two months before prominently displaying the draft lottery envelope that secured the No. 4 pick used to select Caleb Wilson.
- Chicago Bulls jumped to the No. 4 draft pick in May and selected North Carolina forward Caleb Wilson, who scored 35 points in his summer league debut — the second-highest rookie debut total in two decades.
- Arturas Karnisovas and Marc Eversley were fired as the Bulls' top front office executives in April after six seasons marked by poor draft decisions, including passing on Tyrese Haliburton for Patrick Williams in 2020.
- Patrick Williams received a five-year, $90 million contract extension in June 2024 despite averaging 10 points and 3.9 rebounds, a move that blindsided internal staff who had long seen him as overvalued.
- Michael Reinsdorf stated the Bulls would not tank, calling it 'not who we are,' a stance that contributed to years of middling performance and play-in tournament exits from 2023 to 2025.
- Tiago Splitter was hired as head coach after Graham interviewed 12 candidates, marking a full front office and coaching reset under new leadership.
Why it matters: The Bulls’ repeated failure to commit fully to either rebuilding or contending has cost them draft capital and roster flexibility, leaving them stuck in mediocrity for nearly a decade — a pattern Graham must break with Wilson and Splitter as cornerstones, or risk another lost era in a franchise still measuring itself against six championships.
