The Bulls’ offseason has settled into a familiar shape: a few visible changes, a lot of holdovers, and plenty of room left untouched. Bryson Graham’s first summer at the controls now looks all but finished, and in terms of roster work, there isn’t much to point to beyond a conservative approach that leaves an open roster spot and passes on using the team’s Cap Exception, the Room exception worth about $9 million.
That restraint fits a long-running Bulls pattern. Future flexibility gets the talking points, while the payroll stays light.
Graham has carried that forward, but the roster is only one piece of the job. Coaching, scouting, and front office structure matter too, and those are the areas Graham said would get attention.
On that front, though, the overhaul has been modest. The Bulls appear to have quietly pulled down their public staff directory, but the early read is that the changes in the front office and scouting have been closer to one-for-one swaps than a full reset.
There are still too many holdovers for some tastes. Even so, the G League side did get a real shake-up, with Billy Donovan’s son replaced by Quincy Pondexter as head coach.
That move, along with the 2-way contract decisions, suggests the organization is at least trying to put development back at the center of its minor-league setup instead of treating it like a side attraction.
It may still be a partial cleanup rather than a complete one, whether because of contract situations or because Graham wants more time to sort through the pieces. Either way, the front office remains less changed than some might have hoped.
The coaching staff is a different story. New head coach Tiago Splitter is surrounded by more fresh faces than the front office got, and the Bulls made the final additions official yesterday:
Tiago Splitter - Head Coach*
Wes Unseld Jr. - Assistant Coach
Blake Ahearn - Assistant Coach *
Jamelle McMillan - Assistant Coach*
Rex Kalamian - Assistant Coach*
Jonah Herscu - Assistant Coach *
Taj Gibson - Assistant Coach*
Martin Rancik - Senior Player Development Coach*
Jordan Brink - Assistant Coach, Director of Player Development*
Pete Crawford - Player Development Coach
LD Williams - Player Development Coach
Jeremiah Bonsu - Head Video Coordinator
Micah Bruno - Assistant Video Coordinator
Brandon Leftwich - Video Coordinator*
Delvon Johnson - Video Coordinator*
Jayden Hardaway - Video Coordinator*
The starred names are the new hires, and there are not many holdovers from Billy Donovan’s staff. Graham had previously suggested that Splitter would have a say in some of these decisions, including whether the team would add a shooting coach.
It did not. Every staff has its own mix of influence and obligation, and Taj Gibson’s presence fits the kind of hire ownership would likely push for.
It is hard to call this a full regime change after the way the AKME era ended. The search for Graham was led by Michael Reinsdorf and John Paxson, so this was never going to be a total clean break.
The Bulls’ leaders, old and new, still share the same message: these things take time. For now, that leaves everyone waiting and hoping they get lucky.
In Other News...
Bulls Center Decision Could Still Come Back To Haunt Chicago
Chicagos offseason center picture took another turn when Nick Richards found a new home in Miami after the Bulls decided not to bring him back following the Nic Claxton acquisition. Richards fit in Chicago became expendable once the frontcourt hierarchy changed, and now the Bulls are left to see whether moving on was the right call as he lands on a team with a clear need for size and physicality.
Miami is leaning on Richards as a possible rotational answer in a frontcourt that got thinner after the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade, a role built around defending the rim and helping on the glass. For a player whose NBA career has been uneven and interrupted by injuries, the opportunity is still there to settle into a useful stretch, and Chicago will be watching to see whether the parting of ways ends up looking prudent or premature. [Read more 🡒]
Bulls Fans Just Got An Early Look At Splitters New Era
Tiago Splitters first Bulls staff is now official, giving Chicago a first real look at the structure around its new head coach before the season gets rolling. The group includes Taj Gibson, Rex Kalamian, Jamelle McMillan, Jonah Herscu, Blake Ahearn and Jordan Brink, with several names carrying over, changing roles or arriving with a fresh set of responsibilities as the organization settles into a new era.
The mix also says plenty about the direction the Bulls want to take under Splitter, blending familiarity with new voices and a heavy emphasis on development. Wes Unseld Jr. is back in the fold for a third season in Chicago, and Brinks arrival from New York adds another layer to the bench and the player-development side of the operation, even before the roster starts to fully take shape. [Read more 🡒]
Bulls Opener Suddenly Looks Like A Much Bigger Early Test
The Bulls season opener just picked up a lot more weight. Kawhi Leonard is now set to face Chicago on Oct. 21, giving the Bulls an early look at one of the leagues most familiar stars in an environment that already carries a little extra edge for both sides. It is the kind of matchup that can say something about a team right away, especially when it lands at the front end of a schedule loaded with playoff-caliber opposition.
Chicago will have to deal with that spotlight in Toronto before the calendar even has a chance to settle in. The opener is now part of a tougher-than-usual early run, with the Bulls facing a string of contenders soon after, which turns one October game into something closer to a tone-setter. For a team trying to get traction early, the first week may tell more than usual about how ready it is for the grind ahead. [Read more 🡒]