The Bulls are still building out Tiago Splitter’s first coaching staff, and three names are coming into focus. Rex Kalamian, Jonah Herscu and Blake Ahearn are set to join as assistants, sources told Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.
Kalamian brings a long NBA résumé to Chicago. He has coached for eight different teams since 1995 and most recently worked on Doc Rivers’ staff in Milwaukee.
Herscu, who has been an assistant with the Lakers and Kings, was with Splitter in Portland and also coached the Rip City Remix in the G League last season. Ahearn has his own track record on the development side, having coached the Spurs’ G League team from 2017-20 before serving as a Grizzlies assistant under Taylor Jenkins from 2020-24.
There’s also a different kind of change happening in the front office. In a detailed ESPN.com story, Jamal Collier examined the dysfunction that had built up under the previous regime, including the sense from several executives under Arturas Karnisovas and Marc Eversley that their voices weren’t really being heard. Collier also reported confusion over whether Chicago’s anti-tanking approach came from ownership or from Karnisovas and Eversley themselves.
New head of basketball operations Bryson Graham told ESPN he believes the organization can “build something special” with a more collaborative setup. “I’m not trying to come in and overcorrect.
I’m just leading in the way that I believe is the proper way to lead,” Graham said. “As you make decisions, you might convince your group when it gets down to the nitty-gritty.
But earlier in the process, you just want to take in, and you want to hear from [everyone], and you want everyone focused on trying to give their absolute best to help make the right decision. And then ultimately I’ll take that information, process it and do what I need to.”
That shift, according to multiple team sources who spoke to ESPN, has already changed the feel around the Bulls this offseason. One basketball operations staffer described it this way: “There’s a very, very, very different vibe.
Everybody feels it. We’re meeting.
A group. Beyond four people.
Talking about the draft, free agency, hiring a coach. It’s not under a cloak of secrecy.
We’re not finding out from an (ESPN alert).”
On the player side, second-year forward Noa Essengue also gave an update on where he stands after shoulder surgery. In an interview with K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network, Essengue said he’s been “pain-free” while working out and discussed what Splitter wants to see from him moving forward.
In Other News...
Bulls Suddenly Have The Setup Caleb Wilson Needed Most
Caleb Wilson gave the Bulls exactly the kind of Summer League debut that can change the mood around a young roster, flashing the scoring touch and versatility that made him the No. 4 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. Chicago is back on the floor with a chance to build on that first impression, and this time the setup looks far more favorable than the opener did against Memphis, when the Bulls ran into a more seasoned group.
Utahs decision to lean even harder into evaluation mode gives Wilson another stage to show why Chicago is so intrigued by him early on. The Bulls should have the edge on paper, but for a team trying to see what it has in a top pick, the bigger question is whether Wilson can keep stacking strong nights while the competition around him changes. [Read more 🡒]
Bulls Summer League Suddenly Feels More Concerning Than Promising
The Bulls second Las Vegas Summer League outing brought a sharper look at the rosters developmental questions, even in a game that was more about evaluation than the scoreboard. Caleb Wilson stood out with his activity on defense and chipped in some scoring, giving Chicago a few reasons to feel better about one of its young prospects, while the overall flow of the game still tilted the wrong way against Utah.
Dailyn Swains night was the kind that can linger in a summer setting, with the shot not falling and the offense never really catching up. Noa Essengue also had a shaky showing, mixing turnovers into a frustrating performance, and the Bulls now have to sort through what they learned from two players who were supposed to help make this stretch feel a little more encouraging. [Read more 🡒]
Adam Silver Just Gave Former Bulls Exec A Stunning Second Act
Artras Karniovasa has turned up in a very different corner of the basketball world, with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver tapping the former Bulls executive to help with the leagues push into Europe. Karniovasa will be involved in the broad groundwork for NBA Europe, including rules, governance, recruiting, player opportunities and youth development, while also serving as a link between the NBA and the new venture.
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 🡒]