East Notes: Bulls, Arturas Karnisovas, Nets, assets, Celtics

Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times has spent years ripping the Bulls’ front office. This time, he almost went easy on them.

Cowley wrote that, yes, head of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas and GM Marc Eversley have made mistakes, but there are front offices in even worse shape. The Pelicans, Knicks and Suns were all listed as more dysfunctional.

Chicago fans may not find that overly comforting, but at least they are not alone. Right? Right. We think.

Nets stockpiling assets: The Nets still have around $16 million in cap space, according to Brian Lewis of the New York Post. That gives them room to remain opportunistic, absorbing contracts other teams want to dump in exchange for picks.

Brooklyn has already acquired Michael Porter Jr., Terance Mann, and Haywood Highsmith. In return, they landed a 2025 first-rounder that became Drake Powell, Denver’s unprotected 2032 first and Miami’s 2032 second.

Lewis added that the Nets are still actively searching for more of those deals. For a team that is clearly rebuilding, every extra draft chip matters.

Celtics eyeing a move? In Boston, the sale of the Celtics has raised questions about where the team will call home in the long term. Shirley Leung of the Boston Globe noted that the franchise currently shares TD Garden with the Bruins and pays rent to Delaware North, the building’s owner.

The new ownership group could eventually look at building a basketball-specific arena with real estate development around it.

Nothing is imminent, but the fact the option is on the table has already sparked plenty of speculation.