Sound decision-making has been rare in Chicago lately—and no, this isn’t about the Bears. The Chicago Bulls, under Artūras Karnišovas’s leadership, have repeatedly gone against the grain of the NBA in some questionable ways.
It’s debatable to label Karnišovas’s moves as outright poor. He did sign Patrick Williams to a heavily criticized \$90 million deal and traded key defender Alex Caruso to the Oklahoma City Thunder for Josh Giddey without securing any draft picks in return. However, aside from those two, his tenure as Vice President of Basketball Operations hasn’t been filled with glaring mistakes. Instead, the Karnišovas era feels more like a period of slow, hesitant action.
Artūras Karnišovas has largely stood pat as the Bulls’ decision-maker
The VP of Basketball Operations has mostly operated in the middle of the pack. His cautious approach has drawn criticism from fans and analysts alike. Karnišovas took years to move veterans Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan and still hasn’t moved 34-year-old big man Nikola Vucevic. Moreover, his hesitant strategy has resulted in a scarcity of draft assets for a team that’s been, at best, mediocre.
There’s not much outright bad to say about Karnišovas, but there’s not much good either. Yet, through a more optimistic lens, he has made some subtle moves that inspire confidence. Drafting Matas Buzelis at 11th overall last season was a positive step. His acquisition of Josh Giddey—despite missing out on draft compensation—was notable. And trading LaVine to clear nearly \$150 million off the Bulls’ payroll over the next three years was a major move.
Karnišovas is starting to shake things up, and a recent rumor hints at a bolder strategy. According to Matt Moore of Action Network’s Hardwood Paroxysms substack, the Bulls are “unlikely to retain both Josh Giddey and Coby White.” While Moore emphasizes this is just outside speculation from two Eastern Conference sources, it signals that Chicago’s front office may be ready to make more aggressive moves.
An interesting rumor leads us to believe a roster shake-up is near
Moore expanded on his point, saying, “If Giddey gets locked in, White could be moved. I’m skeptical of that idea because that sounds like a radical concept for the Bulls and that doesn’t sound like them. Saving money sounds like them, but not like this.”
He’s spot on—that kind of move isn’t typical Chicago. Under Karnišovas, continuity has been the team’s hallmark. Keeping Giddey while moving White seemed like a given. Now, though, it’s fair to question whether this backcourt is really Chicago’s future.
Hopefully, Moore’s speculation reflects the Bulls’ upcoming contract decisions. Giddey is on the verge of signing a hefty deal, and White is set for a significant pay raise in the 2026 offseason after earning around \$12 million annually over the past two seasons.
If Moore and his sources are right, Karnišovas is thinking ahead. Splitting up Giddey and White isn’t ideal, but it might be necessary. Committing roughly \$70 million per year to two players who haven’t yet made an All-Star appearance doesn’t make much sense. Both Giddey and White are young—22 and 25 respectively—and on upward trajectories, but locking in big contracts for both could limit the Bulls’ ability to build a balanced roster soon.
Karnišovas might finally be starting to zig in step with the NBA’s best decision-makers. Complete, well-rounded teams—like the Thunder and Pacers during their Finals runs—are the model today under a tough Collective Bargaining Agreement. With strict salary caps, handing star-level money to two above-average players just isn’t a smart move.