A fresh front-office wrinkle in Atlanta has Bulls fans connecting the dots again.
Marc Stein of The Stein Line reported that Hawks assistant general manager Kyle Korver is leaving the franchise after four years. Stein said Korver departed on good terms from a Hawks operation now led by top executive Onsi Saleh. He did not report a new landing spot for Korver, only that the former All-Star is looking ahead to the next phase of his post-playing career.
That immediately got Chicago talking. Korver spent time with the Bulls, and he also has a clear link to the man now steering their front office, Bryson Graham. The two worked together in Atlanta this past season, with Graham taking the GM chair after arriving from New Orleans.
It is easy to see why the idea has traction. Korver was a quick favorite in Chicago despite playing only two full seasons there, and he was an important piece of the early Derrick Rose teams in 2010-11 and 2011-12. During those years, the Bulls won 50-plus games each season, including 62 in 2010-11, and reached the Eastern Conference Finals.
Korver has also kept a positive relationship with the organization and the city, but that alone does not point to an imminent return. The more interesting angle is his relationship with Graham and the possibility that he could be an appealing addition if Chicago wants to keep building out the staff.
Chicago technically still has an open GM role, which would give Korver a clear step up if the Bulls chose to pursue him. And this is not the first time his name has come up in the conversation. Earlier this offseason, Korver was mentioned as a surprise candidate in Chicago’s front office search, though there was never any confirmation that he actually interviewed.
Still, this feels more like smoke than fire right now. The Bulls appear to be settling into their restructuring as training camp gets closer, and a GM hire this late in the summer would be a major move.
Jordan Brink has already come in from the New York Knicks as Director of Player Development, so the changes are not finished. But if Graham were planning a more traditional hierarchy, a move of that size likely would have been one of his first decisions.
That is not how Chicago seems to be operating. Michael Reinsdorf said early in the process that the Bulls may not follow their old model, and Graham’s early hires have backed that up. He has already added two vice presidents: Stephen Mervis in basketball operations and Acie Law IV in player personnel.
That setup fits the direction plenty of successful teams have taken. The Oklahoma City Thunder and Boston Celtics have both built more balanced front offices, with one lead voice and several important contributors underneath. Graham has emphasized the value of collaboration, so that model appears to be very much in play in Chicago.
None of that rules out Korver as a smart fit. He was respected in Atlanta and helped the Hawks bring in a long list of intriguing young players.
But even with the obvious Chicago connection and the Graham tie, the Bulls are still early in this process. For now, Korver looks like a name to keep in mind rather than a rumor ready to break.
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