Paul Sullivan: Bryson Graham didn’t make this Bulls mess, but it’s his job to fix mistakes of his predecessors

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CHICAGO — Michael Reinsdorf took over the reins of the Chicago Bulls from his famous father in 2010, but mostly remained in the shadows over the last 16 years until firing executives Artūras Karnišovas and Marc Eversley last month.

On Monday, the Bulls president and son of Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf left no doubts that he’s ready to leave his own imprint on the organization, hiring 39-year-old Atlanta Hawks executive Bryson Graham to lead the team through what might be its most crucial stretch since the end of the Jordan era.

Bulls fans have patiently awaited a team that consistently competes for a long playoff run, but years of inefficient upper management and a lack of accountability have put them in a “prove it” state of mind.

It’s not Graham’s fault they’ve lost faith in the organization, but it’s now his job to put the broken pieces back together by any means necessary.

Many observers believed the Bulls would hire Minnesota senior director of basketball operations Matt Lloyd, a former Bulls employee who checked all the boxes of a quintessential Jerry Reinsdorf hire, meaning they’ve had his employee profile in the company computer since it was first put on a floppy disc in the mid-90s.

But Michael went in the opposite direction and brought in someone with no ties at all to the organization or to the Reinsdorfs themselves. Graham gets a fresh start in a new town with a fan base that just wants to win, and he deserves a chance to earn fans’ trust.

He’s been touted as a great talent evaluator, which would seem to be a requirement of any candidate, and is reputed to be a strong communicator. The bar is already low in that area, as Michael Reinsdorf conceded during last month’s Zoom call with reporters, suggesting poor executive communicators have been the norm since former general manager Jerry Krause began harrumphing in 1985. (He absolved John Paxson of any communication breakdowns.)

Graham comes into his new job with some heavy lifting to do, and won’t get the benefit of the doubt that Theo Epstein did when he came to the Chicago Cubs from the Boston Red Sox at the age of 37 with two championships under his belt. New Orleans and Atlanta aren’t exactly model NBA franchises, despite his talent evaluation skills.

Graham will be introduced to the media on Wednesday at the Advocate Center, where the man of mystery will get his first chance to present his vision of the future of an iconic NBA franchise that’s fallen on hard times. Here are four questions that might be asked.

What kind of coach is he looking for?

A winner, of course, is always the correct answer. But a bright, young mind who can develop youth and eventually become a winner, or a proven coach who knows the drill? Many top assistants appear to be ready for their opportunity, including Cleveland’s Johnnie Bryant, San Antonio’s Sean Sweeney, Miami’s Chris Quinn and Minnesota’s Micah Nori, who was rumored to be a top candidate if Lloyd had been hired.

Graham could also look at a familiar face like former New Orleans coach James Borrego, or a blast from the Bulls past like Tom Thibodeau, who reportedly wants to get back in the fight. A Thibodeau reunion seems unlikely after the Tony La Russa ending with the White Sox, but who knows? What about an outside-the-box candidate like Milwaukee coaching associate Rajon Rondo? That would wake up the United Center in a hurry.

What kind of team identity does Graham hope to establish?

The Bulls turned up the notch offensively the last two years with an up-tempo attack under former coach Billy Donovan, to the detriment of the defense that was once the team’s hallmark. They were 28th in points allowed (119.4) in 2024-25, and finished 28th (121.5) this season. Oklahoma City, which is favored to win its second straight title, should be evidence enough that great defense still rules.

When Jerry Reinsdorf fired Rod Thorn and made Krause his GM in ’85, he said he wanted an “unselfish team that plays team defense,” moves without the ball and “plays Red Holzman basketball,” referring to the old New York Knicks coach. Reinsdorf had inherited Michael Jordan when he bought the team, but still wanted to turn the Bulls into the Knicks.

“Jerry’s job is to find the (Dave) DeBusschere of ’85, the (Bill) Bradley of ’85,” he said of the 1970s Knicks. “We do not want to depend on one player. We want to surround Michael Jordan with four Michael Jordans.”

That was obviously impossible, though Krause did draft Scottie Pippen and Horace Grant and install a defensive mentality choreographed by assistant coach Johnny Bach. No pressure, Bryson, but that plan seemed to work out pretty well.

Do the Bulls need to acquire a superstar, or can they develop one from the draft?

That could depend on how the ping-pong balls fall in next Sunday’s draft lottery, where the Bulls will find out whether they can move into the top four picks. If not, they’ll be at No. 9, which should net a quality player but probably not a franchise-changing star. Ditto with No. 15, which they got from Portland. If they don’t get a top-four pick, do they have a strong enough duo in Josh Giddey and Matas Buzelis to build around? Giddey and Buzelis can both take over scoring on any given night, but can either step up and become an elite defender?

Buzelis, perhaps, if he adds some bulk. But there is also the possibility the two are better off being complementary players than focal points. If Graham looks at someone like Pelicans “star” Zion Williamson, his former player whose trajectory has been slowed by injuries, one of them may have to go. And by the way, didn’t Giannis Antetokounmpo buy a building in Chicago? Have you tried the souvlaki yet at the Greek Islands?

What’s the timeline for winning?

No new executive ever answers that question, but it has to be asked anyway. After the trades of Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu, the Bulls’ cupboard is pretty bare, but they do have $60 million or so in cap money.

No one expects any miracles in 2026-27, but a decent draft and some free-agent surprises would at least get Bulls fans back in the hope business, which is a good thing.

Chicago deserves a chance to dream again.