The Bulls say a new era is taking shape inside their front office, and the difference, at least from the inside, is already obvious.
In ESPN’s look at the franchise, multiple team sources described a markedly different environment under new head of basketball operations Bryson Graham than the one that existed before him. One basketball operations staffer put it bluntly: “There’s a very, very, very different vibe,” one basketball operations staffer told ESPN. “Everybody feels it.”
That shift, according to the report, has shown up in the way the organization handles major basketball decisions. Front office members have been more involved in conversations about the draft, free agency and coaching than they were previously, when several felt their input wasn’t landing the way it should. Graham said that kind of collaboration is central to how he wants to run things.
“I’m not trying to come in and overcorrect,” he said. “I’m just leading in the way that I believe is the proper way to lead.”
Chicago is coming off another disappointing season, and the hope is that a more connected front office can help point the franchise toward a clearer path.
In San Antonio, Harrison Ingram’s status has changed. The Spurs withdrew their qualifying offer to the forward, which makes him an unrestricted free agent.
Ingram, a second-round pick in 2024, spent the last two seasons on two-way contracts with the Spurs. He appeared in only 12 NBA games and spent most of his time with the Austin Spurs.
The former North Carolina standout put up 16.6 points, 12.0 rebounds and 4.8 assists in the G League last season. San Antonio still has the option to bring him back, including on another two-way deal, though the team’s three two-way spots are already crowded.
Team USA’s coaching staff is also starting to take shape. ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that Thunder coach Mark Daigneault, Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff and Gonzaga’s Mark Few are expected to join Erik Spoelstra as assistants.
Spoelstra was named Team USA’s head coach last fall and will guide the program through the 2027 FIBA World Cup and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Daigneault just led the Thunder to an NBA championship, Bickerstaff is coming off a 60-win season with the Pistons, and Few adds a deep international résumé after working on Steve Kerr’s staff during the 2024 Olympic Games.
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For Chicago, it is a reminder of how quickly a front-office career can change shape after a difficult run. Karniovasa spent six seasons running basketball operations for the Bulls, and now he is part of a project the NBA hopes to launch in October 2027. The leagues plan calls for a 16-team setup, and the early list of possible homes stretches across some of Europes biggest basketball cities, leaving plenty of intrigue around how the whole thing will ultimately come together. [Read more 🡒]