The Chicago Bulls have prioritized finding their next GM to replace the departed Gar Forman. Executive VP Arturas Karnisovas wants to make sure he gets this hire right. It could have a profound impact on how the franchise does moving forward. He's not looking for somebody like him either. He wants a basketball mind that is intelligent but thinks differently from him. Someone who helps cover up his weaknesses.
One of the bigger surprises of the past week was when the Dallas Mavericks granted them permission to meet with VP of Basketball Operations Michael Finley. Owner Mark Cuban is on record saying the former All-Star would be perfect for the Bulls, being a Chicago-native and longtime Michael Jordan fan. Finley was a big part of the Mavericks recent rebuild that saw them nab superstar Luka Doncic along with Kristaps Porzingis and Tim Hardaway Jr. among others.
Finley's background is considerably different from Karnisovas, having spent his entire playing career in the NBA. He has that deep connection to the American areas of the game whereas the Bulls VP has the overseas connections. It really does look like a perfect marriage on paper.
Chicago Bulls likely to be careful with this decision
While Finley might make a ton of sense, it's likely the Bulls won't make a decision right away. They have a list of other candidates they wish to meet with. It includes Marc Eversley of the 79ers, Mark Hughes of the Clippers, and Matt Lloyd of the Magic. All have qualifications of their own worth noting.
Lloyd helped the Bulls build their most recent contenders with Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah, and Jimmy Butler. Hughes was a big part of luring Kawhi Leonard to Los Angeles and trading for Paul George. Eversley helped Philadelphia draft Ben Simmons and finally get back to winning basketball games. It's likely other unreported names are on that list as well.
Nobody knows yet whether Finley made a positive impression or not. All one can say for sure is he's certainly qualified for the job.
