Bulls Rumors: Chicago Starting Process to Hire New Basketball Top Executive

The Chicago Bulls are on the hunt for a new executive to lead their basketball operations.

According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the organization has begun a "formal search process to hire a new top executive with full authority on basketball decisions":

Woj and NBC Sports Chicago's K.C. Johnson added that the team has already identified potential candidates:

Wojnarowski also noted that the Bulls intend to have the position filled before the league ends its current hiatus amid the COVID-19 pandemic. 

According to The Athletic's Sam Vecenie, it's a position that should appeal to a lot of front-office executives around the NBA:

Dwyane Wade has his own ideas about the hire though:

It's become clear in recent seasons that the Bulls need a change in leadership. The team missed the postseason in three of the past four seasons and is in danger of doing so again in the 2019-20 campaign. The Bulls are currently 22-43, putting them eight games behind the Orlando Magic (30-35) for the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference. 

One of the questions for the team's new top decision-maker will be the future of head coach Jim Boylen, who is 39-84 in his two seasons on the job. 

Johnson reported earlier in the week: "Reinsdorf remains supportive of Boylen. If the targeted lead candidate makes clear he or she wants to make a coaching change in the interview process, that wouldn't be a dealbreaker. In other words, Reinsdorf won't make a hire with the pre-existing condition that Boylen must be retained."

So Boylen's job status is very much in the air. And it appears the Bulls will have a new person calling the shots once basketball resumes, whenever that ends up being.