The Bulls are continuing to reshape their basketball operations under executive vice president of basketball operations Bryson Graham, and Thursday brought a fresh batch of front-office moves.
Chicago announced Brian Hagen’s promotion to senior vice president of player personnel, a role that rewards a long run with the franchise. Hagen has been with the Bulls since 2012 and has worked his way through multiple basketball operations jobs, most recently serving as director of player personnel.
The Bulls also added several new faces. Dionne Calhoun is in as assistant athletic trainer, Alex Kaufman joins as senior manager of basketball operations and general manager of the Windy City Bulls, and Jarrett Sutton has been hired as a scout and intelligence coordinator.
Noah Fax was promoted to coordinator of basketball operations, while Justin Irwin was elevated to assistant strength and conditioning coach. Both Kaufman and Sutton previously worked with Graham in New Orleans.
Around the Central, Cleveland’s biggest question heading toward the 2026/27 season is depth. Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com points to the Cavaliers’ bench as the main concern after an offseason that saw Dean Wade, Keon Ellis and Larry Nance Jr. leave in free agency, while Dennis Schröder and Max Strus were traded away.
Sam Merrill and Jaylon Tyson look like the safest bets to handle meaningful reserve minutes, but the rest of the picture is less certain. Fedor notes that the Cavs still need answers on what they can count on from Tyrese Proctor, Thomas Bryant, Mario Hezonja and Nae’Qwan Tomlin.
Head coach Kenny Atkinson, though, isn’t sounding the alarm. On Friday, he said he believes there are 13 players on the roster who could end up in the rotation, according to a Twitter link via Fedor. Atkinson also said the starting five is “not set,” though it would be a surprise if anyone besides Peyton Watson ends up at the three alongside James Harden, Donovan Mitchell Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen.
In Indiana, Pacers general manager Chad Buchanan said Thursday he wasn’t getting into possible new contracts for the team’s extension-eligible players, including Pascal Siakam, Ben Sheppard and Jarace Walker, according to Zion Brown of The Indianapolis Star.
Buchanan did address Walker’s role, however, with the former lottery pick heading into the final year of his rookie deal. “His role will be a little different this year than it was last year,” the GM said.
“And the more simplified he can keep his game, the more he can focus on helping us do the little things. … We don’t need a lot of play-making necessarily from him like maybe we did last year, and I think part of his maturity and growth as a player is understanding what the team needs from him.
We’ve got to see him do it and he’s got to do it night to night.”
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Pacers Face A Costly Extension Squeeze Around Their Young Core
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The timing matters because Walker and Sheppard have until Oct. 19 to reach agreement on rookie-scale extensions, while the bigger picture is shaped by a salary cap situation that already has Indiana working carefully. For a team built around a young core and major long-term commitments, the next contract decisions could quickly shape how the roster is maintained, or altered, going forward. [Read more 🡒]