The NBA draft is a week away. It is the single-most important event of the offseason for the Chicago Bulls as it will set the tone for perhaps the next five years of the franchise, if not longer. One would imagine the team would prefer having a head coach in place before then. However, weeks have passed with no decision. VP of Basketball Operations Bryson Graham has conducted a long interview process with over half a dozen candidates. It looked like San Antonio Spurs assistant Sean Sweeney was the favorite, but he chose the Orlando job instead.
Longtime Miami assistant Chris Quinn also dropped out of the running this past week. As of right now, the name generating the most buzz is Portland Trail Blazers interim coach Tiago Splitter. The Bulls are confirmed to have met with him in the past couple of days. Is he now the frontrunner? Many think so, but this team has already pulled one surprise this offseason by hiring Graham. Nobody knows what to expect. One thing has become clear, though.
A decision is close. NBA insider Marc Stein confirmed as much.
The Chicago Bulls have kept everybody guessing on their intentions.
While there has been speculation about what Graham has planned, no one has provided concrete details. That applies to both the coaching search and the upcoming draft. Rumors have emerged in the past few weeks about the Bulls possibly trading up to #1 or trading down from #4. They haven’t met privately with North Carolina forward Caleb Wilson, the current favorite to be their pick. Everything is lost in a fog of uncertainty, which is probably how Graham wants it. The less others know about his true intentions, the better.
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That goes for the coaching search as well. Other teams are also hunting for top candidates. If the Chicago Bulls let it slip who they want, one of them could swoop in with a better offer to make the steal. Splitter looks like the current leader in the clubhouse, but Minnesota’s Micah Nori is still in the mix. Could another candidate steal the checkered flag at the last second? We already saw it happen with Graham when he was hired. Everything goes out the window in the interview process. Many times, it comes down to which one charms the top decision-makers.
Keep the original goal in mind.
Graham stated that somebody who excels at player development will be the focus for the Bulls. Everybody knows this team is in a rebuilding phase. They’re about to make two picks in the 1st round of this draft. They must hit on at least one of them if they’re to have a chance at climbing out of the Eastern Conference purgatory. One name who fits that profile is Cleveland Cavaliers assistant Johnnie Bryant. Many credit him for molding Donovan Mitchell and Jalen Brunson into the offensive powerhouses they are today. Don’t ignore that name.
Chicago usually likes to get things done early in the week. Billy Donovan was hired on a Tuesday back in 2020. So this idea that a decision goes public on Monday has credibility. Once that happens, we may have a better idea of how they plan to attack the draft. Graham has said he wants to focus on athleticism, length, and defense. Splitter and Nori both come from backgrounds that lean into that vision. The next 12-24 hours will be fascinating.
