Bulls face major hurdle to find a new GM

After years of being stuck in the middle, not making the most of their assets, and failing to contend, the Chicago Bulls finally fired GM Marc Eversley and executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas.

The team still has a decision to make about coach Billy Donovan, but it looks like they would rather keep him around for this new era.

However, ESPN insider Zach Lowe doesn't like their chances to get a top name in their GM search.

In the latest edition of his podcast, "The Zach Lowe Show," he reported that league sources say executives don't trust the Reinsdorf family.

NBA executives don't trust the Bulls' ownership

"I talked to a front office free agent who would have his pick of any job if they came open, and he said to me, 'What would you do if you were me?' I said whoever saves the Bulls will be a legend in the NBA forever," Lowe said. "And he said to me, 'That sounds great in theory. I don’t trust the ownership.'"

The Bulls' reluctance to blow the roster up and tank has them stuck in limbo, the worst place in professional sports. They weren't bad enough to get a top pick or good enough to compete, and they missed multiple opportunities to trade their best assets at a fair price.

They can now have two first-round picks in a stacked 2026 NBA Draft, not to mention a huge fan base and a great basketball market. 

Still, none of that may matter. The Reinsdorfs haven't always been willing to spend, and their ownership style has frustrated the fans for most of the post-Michael Jordan era.

The Bulls would otherwise be a highly coveted destination for top free agents, coaches and executives. But with the current ownership still in control, they might find a tough time landing an ideal replacement for the previous regime.