The Bulls haven’t won a playoff series since 2015.
They haven’t had a No. 1 draft pick since hitting on Derrick Rose in 2008.
The last time they even had a winning record in the regular season? The 2021-22 season in which they went 46-36 – the one time in the last decade they have posted a record above .500.
Bryson Graham has a lot of work to do.
In the wake of firing former executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas and general manager Marc Eversley last month, the Bulls began the rebuild of the front office by landing Graham in somewhat of a surprising move.
The momentum the past few weeks had current Timberwolves GM – and a former long-time do-everything Bulls employee – Matt Lloyd as the favorite, but Graham reportedly stole the show in the in-person interview process and was announced as the winner on Monday.
What was stressed by one Bulls source was it had nothing to do with what the other candidates were lacking as much as how Graham wowed the hiring group throughout the process. That same source said that Graham has full autonomy to now build out the front office how he sees fit and finances are not an obstacle.
The mentality before the hiring process even started was the days of the Bulls playing checkers had to end and it was time to catch up with the rest of the league and start playing front office chess.
Naming Graham the executive VP of basketball operations was just the first step.
“Bryson is an elite talent evaluator who has earned tremendous respect across the league, and that stood out immediately during our process. He has worked his way up through basketball operations from the ground level, and that experience has given him a deep understanding of how to build and sustain a successful organization.
“Bryson is an elite talent evaluator who has earned tremendous respect across the league, and that stood out immediately during our process,” team president Michael Reinsdorf said in a statement. “He has worked his way up through basketball operations from the ground level, and that experience has given him a deep understanding of how to build and sustain a successful organization.
“He is an effective communicator, a disciplined and thoughtful decision-maker, and someone who truly connects with players and people. He understands today’s league, today’s players, and what it takes to develop talent and build a winning culture. Just as important, Bryson is committed to building a high-level group around him. He knows what he does well, and he is focused on surrounding that with strong leadership across strategy, scouting, and player development. This is an important step for our organization. We know there is work ahead, but we are confident in Bryson’s ability to lead, build, and move us forward.”
Graham comes to the Bulls on a bit of a hot streak as far as front offices go, most recently the senior VP of basketball operations with the Hawks, where he did a complete an overhaul to that team’s front office and its philosophy.
“I am incredibly honored to join the Chicago Bulls organization,” Graham said. “This is one of the most storied franchises in the history of professional basketball, and I feel a tremendous sense of responsibility to deliver results for this city and these fans. My entire career has been built on the belief that sustained success starts with finding the right players and developing an all-around impactful culture. I want to thank Jerry and Michael Reinsdorf and the entire Bulls organization for presenting me with this opportunity. I am ready to get to work.”
The good news for Graham is he will inherit an organization that might feel broken – and rightfully so – but actually has a lot of solid working parts and a foundation that could be built up quickly.
Bulls forward Matas Buzelis feels like a climbing star, guard Josh Giddey has flashes of bring a consistent working piece, Graham will have two picks in the top 15 of a loaded 2026 NBA draft class, and maybe more importantly, has a league-high $58 million in cap space this summer.
