Black execs reportedly 'frustrated' 'by Bulls' front office search after hiring former Nuggets GM Arturas Karnisovas

The latest edition of a Chicago Bulls rebuild is reportedly underway, and some around the NBA aren't happy with how the team conducted its latest front-office search. 

According to Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times, former Denver Nuggets general manager Arturas Karnisovas will become Chicago's next head of basketball operations. Ahead of the start of the 2016-17 NBA campaign, the Nuggets named Karnisovas their assistant general manager and vice president of basketball operations. Denver promoted him to GM in June 2017. 

On Tuesday, reports emerged John Paxson, Chicago's current vice president of basketball operations, could take a lesser role within the organization or "completely step down." Two days later, Cowley explained that Paxson will be shifted into an advisory role following the hire of Karnisovas. 

Karnisovas joins an organization that failed to make the playoffs in four of the past five seasons. Per Cowley, he is expected to replace Bulls GM Gar Forman and others within the front office and different departments. Head coach Jim Boylen could also be on the hot seat. 

The Bulls have gone 39-84 in less than two complete seasons under Boylen. 

On Wednesday, Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated reported that multiple black executives across the Association were frustrated that no African Americans were among Chicago's final candidates to replace Paxson. 

"It’s clear there is an underlying hypocrisy telling us the NBA is diverse, but when an opportunity comes, the process isn’t," one executive told The Undefeated. 

"They are not even hiding what they are doing," said an African American GM regarding Chicago's search. 

Also on April 9, Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports reported Karnisovas "plans to hire a person of color to be the franchise’s general manager." According to Goodwill, Chicago's attempts to interview Oklahoma City Thunder vice president of basketball operations Troy Weaver and Toronto Raptors general manager Bobby Webster were denied by those franchises. 

Calvin Booth, who played in the NBA for a decade and is the current assistant GM for the Nuggets, could earn the GM role with the Bulls, but it's also possible Denver could promote him to replace the departing Karnisovas. The Nuggets were 43-22 and third in the Western Conference standings when the Association suspended play on March 11 due to the coronavirus outbreak.