The old Bulls front office left behind more than bad results. ESPN’s latest reporting lays out a culture that sounds every bit as closed-off and rigid as fans suspected, with decisions often made without real input from the people in the room.
A former Bulls staffer told ESPN’s Jamal Collier that the process could feel like theater. “We would come in for these supposed group meetings, and it was very obvious that the choices had already been made,” the ex-front office staffer told ESPN. “You're not doing me any favors by having me sit in the passenger seat with my own fake steering wheel.”
That kind of setup fits the broader picture around Arturas Karnisovas’ regime: a front office that seemed to expect buy-in without much explanation. Michael Reinsdorf talked about communication after the overhaul, and Bryson Graham has come in preaching transparency. So far, Graham has backed that up by meeting with the media multiple times and making himself available on local radio, giving fans a clearer sense of why he’s making the moves he’s making.
Not every decision has landed perfectly, and that’s never going to happen. But there’s a difference between disagreeing with a front office and feeling shut out by it. Under Karnisovas, the frustration wasn’t just the choices themselves - it was the stubbornness behind them.
Nothing captured that better than the Bulls’ long commitment to Patrick Williams. ESPN’s report says some inside the organization were pushing Tyrese Haliburton in the 2020 NBA Draft, but the Williams belief ran deep for years.
“It took probably three or four years for them to come off of the, 'Well, he could be Kawhi,' statements,” an ex-staffer told ESPN. “Those things continued to linger even after Patrick pretty demonstrably proved that he was not going to be Kawhi.”
Then came the contract. Chicago gave Williams a fully guaranteed five-year $90.0 million deal before he could even reach restricted free agency, and the bet has gone badly.
Williams is set to be the fourth-highest-paid player on the Bulls next season, even though there’s no guarantee he’s in the rotation. He just finished 2025-26 averaging 7.0 points and 3.0 rebounds while shooting 37.2 percent from the field.
That’s the mess Bryson Graham is walking into. ESPN’s full report digs deeper into how it all unraveled, and it also offers a look at how Graham has handled his first few months on the job.
There is, at least, a much cleaner note to end on. Graham’s first draft pick is already giving the Bulls something to dream on. Caleb Wilson has been one of the best players in Summer League, stacking three strong performances and flashing real impact on both ends.
The biggest question around Wilson was his three-point shot, and so far he’s answered it. Over his first three games, the 19-year-old has hit 48.0 percent from deep, knocking down both catch-and-shoot looks and pull-up threes. The number is helped by his 7-11 performance in Game 1, but that was still a huge showing.
He’s also had a five-block game and may have already produced one of Summer League’s best highlights with his poster dunk in Game 2. Brought to Chicago to be the next face of the franchise, he’s looking the part. And, according to the source material, sounding it too.
No. 15 pick Dailyn Swain has had a rougher start, with three outings that haven’t gone well. Even so, he remains an interesting wing prospect whose game should translate if the Bulls can put him in the right role and help him settle in.
Tiago Splitter has added another layer to the new vibe around the team. He’s brought a harder edge and a more physical, defense-first approach, and there appears to be a natural fit between that style and Wilson’s game.
Add in Year 3 of Matas Buzelis coming up, and there’s at least a real reason for optimism. Graham still has to prove he can build the roster the right way, and the talent search isn’t finished. But compared with where the Bulls were before, this is a much better place to be - and the 2026-27 group should be worth watching.
In Other News...
Bulls Veteran Suddenly Looks Like A Major Trade Piece
The Bulls are heading into a stretch where the roster could keep shifting around the edges, and Tre Jones has emerged as one of the names worth watching. Chicago has a few young pieces it wants to sort through, but Jones fits the profile of a veteran who can draw interest from teams looking for help, especially as the front office weighs how to balance development with any chance to reshape the roster.
Josh Giddey is a different kind of decision, and one that figures to get more attention if rival teams start calling. The Bulls are expected to hear inquiries on him, even if moving him would take a significant return and come with more layers than a simple deadline deal. With Tiago Splitter likely to lean into development next season, the Bulls have to decide which players are part of that long-term picture and which ones become movable pieces as the market takes shape. [Read more 🡒]
Pete Crow-Armstrong Just Proved His Bears Bond With Caleb Runs Deeper
Pete Crow-Armstrongs connection to Caleb Williams goes beyond the kind of casual crossover that usually comes with two young Chicago athletes sharing a city. The Cubs outfielder has built a real friendship with the Bears quarterback, and his affection for the Bears traces back to growing up with a Chicago-born father and to the kind of highlight-reel memories that stick with a kid around the game. It is the sort of local bond that makes Chicago sports feel smaller, and a little more interconnected, than it does on most nights.
Crow-Armstrong and Williams now give the city a fresh version of the old athlete-friendship formula, the kind fans remember when different teams and different eras start to overlap. For the Bulls, it is another reminder of how much Chicago still loves its crossover stars, especially when one of them is openly tied to the Bears and the other is trying to become the face of the franchise. The friendship is already real enough to matter, and it carries the kind of future intrigue that Chicago always seems willing to embrace. [Read more 🡒]
Caleb Wilson Sends A Message Bulls Fans Will Love
While the Wizards and Jazz have already shut down top rookies AJ Dybantsa and Darryn Peterson before the end of Summer League, Caleb Wilson has taken a different approach. The Bulls No. 4 overall pick has stayed on the floor, showing the kind of energy and athleticism that made him such an intriguing prospect in the first place while giving Chicago fans a longer look at what he can do.
Wilson also made clear he wants as many reps as possible, and that mindset will play well in Chicago. Beyond the highlight plays, he has talked about sharpening the outside shot that could determine how quickly his game translates, which is part of what makes his continued Summer League run worth watching even with the bigger payoff still ahead. [Read more 🡒]