Chicago Bulls hire Atlanta Hawks executive Bryson Graham to lead their front office
CHICAGO — The Chicago Bulls hired Atlanta Hawks executive Bryson Graham to lead their front office on Monday, hoping he can turn around a struggling franchise. Graham takes over as Chicago’s executive vice president of basketball operations after the organization fired Arturas Karnisovas a month ago. He spent this season as Atlanta’s senior vice president of basketball operations after a 15-year run in New Orleans’ front office that saw him rise from intern to general manager.
He had a hand in the Pelicans drafting Trey Murphy III, Herb Jones, and Dyson Daniels in recent years. Graham reunited with Nickeil Alexander-Walker in July when Atlanta acquired him from Minnesota. He averaged 20.
8 points and was the NBA’s Most Improved Player. The Hawks went 46-36 before losing to New York in the first round of the playoffs and posted their highest win total since the 2015-16 team finished 48-34. “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,” Graham said in a statement.
“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. ” The Bulls fired Karnisovas and general manager Marc Eversley in early April after six years and one postseason appearance. They went on to finish 12th in the Eastern Conference at 31-51 while missing the playoffs for the fourth straight year.
Graham will need to hire a new coach. Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf and president and CEO Michael Reinsdorf had hoped to retain Billy Donovan. But the Naismith Hall of Famer opted to resign after six seasons, avoiding a potentially awkward situation with new management.