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Nikola Vucevic on future: Almost no doubt I’ll be in Chicago
Let’s talk about your NBA career. You were at the center of rumors earlier this summer. What’s your situation with the Bulls? Nikola Vucevic: A week ago (the interview was done August 4), the Bulls GM (Marc Eversley), who had called me after all the rumors, confirmed that nothing was true and that everything we had discussed after the season still stood. I already knew that, but it’s always nice when your GM calls to tell you. So you expect to start the season in Chicago? Nikola Vucevic: Yes, I have almost no doubt. That’s the mindset I’m preparing with. After that, we’ll see—I don’t know what will happen.
KC Johnson: Marc Eversley said 10-11 players have been working out at Advocate Center. Said they've promoted someone internally for player development staff.
Joe Cowley: Eversley said the idea of tanking to try and land “dat dude” is not the path that will be taken … still! They will try to produce it internally. Translation: It’s on you Matas!
KC Johnson: Bulls GM Marc Eversley said he envisions Noa Essengue as two-way player and is impressed by his ability to get downhill and get to FT line. Likes his defensive versatility.
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KC Johnson: Bulls GM Marc Eversley: He's going to have on-court and off-court development plan. We want to help him adapt to new environment.
KC Johnson: Bulls GM Marc Eversley: We looked at several options, both moving up and moving back. We were in contact with 3-4 teams but as board moved, we felt comfortable good player would be available.
KC Johnson: Bulls GM Marc Eversley: We are in transition. Says team has opportunities over next 18 months to significantly improve through draft and free agency. Says they have financial flexibility in 2026 free agency.
According to a source on Wednesday morning, the Bulls were close to finalizing a contract extension for Billy Donovan and had been in discussions with the head coach since the season ended. Why the hold up? The source speculated that it was always going to happen, but Karnisovas and general manager Marc Eversley needed to be extended first and that has now likely happened. What was stressed is that the escalation of the deal getting done had nothing to do with the Knicks asking for permission to speak to Donovan about their coaching vacancy after they parted ways with Tom Thibodeau. Multiple sources indicated that Donovan had no interest in leaving the Bulls, especially for the Knicks position under the current regime, and told his bosses that when New York came calling.
Joe Cowley: Arturas Karnisovas will not address the media on draft night for the first time since taking that seat. GM Marc Eversley will instead speak. Interesting. AK probably doesn't want to deal with questions about the secret extensions going on. pic.x.com/mG7XX5heZa
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Billy Donovan, Arturas Karnisovas safe in Chicago
A Bulls source told the Sun-Times on Thursday that there were no plans to remove executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas from his position, and it was a solid bet that general manager Marc Eversley and head coach Billy Donovan were equally as safe. Donovan, especially, is well-liked by both the front office and ownership, with all involved impressed with the way he flipped the offensive playing style so dramatically in just one season, as well as the relationships he has developed within the locker room.
Earlier in the season, we did a story ranking all the front offices in the league. We focused on asking every single team and their people, "Who’s your top five?" Well, the funny side benefit of that story was how many people wanted to share their bottom five. And it was like, "Well, no, that’s not the story." But you can’t unhear these things. So, along the way, you know—I mean, I’m just giving context for the way their colleagues see their performance over the last couple of years. And it’s the front office with Artūras Karnišovas and Marc Eversley—long-tenured execs who know what they're doing and are smart guys. But right now, the reactions to their choices are just wildly negative across the league. Chicago kept coming up time and again, with people throwing them in their bottom five. So it’s not just media slander—it’s real stuff. And then the Sacramento Kings just turned themselves into the Chicago Bulls. I mean, it’s kind of fascinating to watch LaVine and DeMar reunited.
It was a similar plan to the one Bulls general manager Marc Eversley and vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas tried to execute in 2021, when they acquired Ball -- another young, pass-first point guard who could ignite a fast-paced offense. The team was famously off to a 27-13 start with the fourth-best offensive rating in the NBA when Ball injured his left knee on Jan. 14, 2022, then missed the next two-and-a-half seasons. Chicago has been looking to recreate that form ever since. "[Giddey] plays exactly how we want to play," Eversley told ESPN.
Unable to unload the oft-injured two-time All-Star guard since last season, Karnisovas and Eversley need to do everything they can to repair a damaged relationship with LaVine and build him up enough to help them persuade other teams at trade-deadline time. If LaVine remains in Chicago all season, the Bulls will have invested $181.7 million in him for one playoff appearance and one playoff-game victory since 2017. And he’s still owed $138 million over the next three seasons in a new NBA landscape in which many teams are handcuffed by a revamped collective bargaining agreement.
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