The Bulls are in a new chapter now, with No. 4 overall pick Caleb Wilson, head coach Tiago Splitter and executive Bryson Graham steering the franchise. But a new report has put the old regime’s thinking under a microscope, and it helps explain why Chicago kept resisting the kind of full teardown so many teams eventually embrace.
ESPN’s Jamal Collier reported that former Bulls executives repeatedly used the Detroit Pistons as the cautionary tale whenever tanking came up. The message inside the organization, according to multiple current and former front office members, was that losing on purpose simply was not part of the plan.
“It was always communicated that we had to compete and that tanking was not an option,” one current front office executive told ESPN. “Even the word ‘tanking' or the word ‘rebuild' - that word was never uttered.
“There was always some sort of ownership pressure in terms of competing and winning games. That was always a thing. So while they can talk about how it's been the VP or GM's decision, that hasn't really been the vibe.”
That mindset left Chicago stuck in what several staffers described as NBA “middle ground.” The Bulls were not good enough to become real Eastern Conference threats, but they also were not bad enough to dramatically improve their draft position. The result was three straight Play-In Tournament exits from 2023 through 2025.
Former chairman Jerry Reinsdorf defended that approach after dismissing Artūras Karnišovas and Marc Eversley earlier this year.
“That's just not who we are as an organization,” Reinsdorf said. “Sure, there are some fans, many fans who might say, lose games on purpose, tank, do whatever you can to hopefully win the lottery. But there are a lot of fans that go to the games who aren't there to see us get blown out every game and who want to see us compete.”
Collier also reported that people close to Karnišovas and Eversley said the executives were wary of tanking for the same reason: they saw Detroit’s long slog as proof that losing did not guarantee anything. The Pistons went through five straight losing seasons from 2019 through 2024 and averaged only 18.8 wins per season.
But Detroit’s story has changed fast. The Pistons have now made the playoffs in each of the past two seasons and finished 60-22 as the Eastern Conference’s No. 1 seed in 2025-26, a turnaround that has reopened the debate over whether a painful stretch can eventually lead to real contention.
Rather than stockpile draft picks, Chicago’s previous front office tried to speed things up by chasing young players who already had NBA experience and had once been high draft picks. That approach included the 2024 deal that sent Alex Caruso to acquire Josh Giddey, along with later additions of Rob Dillingham and Jaden Ivey.
“We knew exactly where we were,” one source with knowledge of the front office's thinking told ESPN. “Everybody knew it.
We were constantly explaining that we're getting young players on rookie scales and we're trying to minimize the timeline. There was clear direction.”
Now, with Graham and Splitter in place, the Bulls appear to be moving in a different direction, one built around Wilson and a younger core after years of chasing competitiveness without fully committing to a reset.
In Other News...
Pistons And Jalen Duren Are Stuck In A Frustrating Standoff
Jalen Durens contract talks with the Pistons have settled into the kind of stalemate that can hang over a franchises summer. Detroit has reportedly put a deal on the table in the $32-35 million per season range, but the sides have not found common ground, and the gap has been enough to keep the negotiations from moving forward in any meaningful way.
There also does not appear to be much outside pressure forcing a resolution. With cap space drying up around the league and Detroit turning away sign-and-trade ideas, the Pistons have leaned on their own message that they still want Duren in the fold, even sending Dwane Casey out publicly to reinforce that point. If the impasse drags on, Duren is left weighing a qualifying offer that would come with real financial risk and little long-term security. [Read more 🡒]
Pistons Still Havent Fixed The One Problem Haunting Cade Cunningham
The Pistons spent the offseason trying to give Cade Cunningham a real second option, but the search for that kind of scorer is still hanging over the roster. Detroit did make moves, bringing in Isaiah Joe for needed floor spacing and adding John Collins while moving on from Tobias Harris and Isaiah Stewart, yet the overall picture still looks like a team that has changed pieces without fully solving the offensive burden next to its franchise guard.
Jalen Durens contract situation adds another layer to the uncertainty. Detroit is working through extension talks with the young center, and the gap between what he wants and what the Pistons are comfortable committing has only sharpened the stakes after his playoff performance left questions in the air. For a team trying to build a cleaner path around Cunningham, the unresolved frontcourt business may end up mattering just as much as the scoring void. [Read more 🡒]