Nuggets Scout Dan Connelly, Bulls Reportedly in Talks for Front-Office Role

New Chicago Bulls executive Arturas Karnisovas is continuing to build out his vision for the team's front office and has apparently wasted no time targeting potential fits. 

According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Karnisovas is circling in on Denver Nuggets scout Pat Connelly:

The Bulls have yet to officially announce Karnisovas' hiring, but that appears to be a mere formality at this point. NBC Sports Chicago's K.C. Johnson, who has covered the team for nearly 30 years, previously reported the team is set to bring in J.J. Polk from New Orleans to serve as an assistant general manager.

Johnson noted team ownership has already signed off on Karnisovas' plan to build his own front office, allowing him to seek out names like Polk and Connelly. 

In Connelly, Karnisovas is targeting a former assistant general manager with the Phoenix Suns and a current scout for the Nuggets, where Karnisovas reigned as GM from 2013 until earlier this week. 

Getting the right front office in place is certainly the most pressing battle in Chicago, where Gar Forman and John Paxson have held complete sway over the organization's decision-making for more than a decade. The team's controlling owner, Jerry Reinsdorf and his son Michael, have often been criticized for placing loyalty to employees over process-driven results, which has angered the fan base and led to a torrent of lost seasons. 

The Bulls haven't finished above .500 since the 2015-16 season and have whiffed in the past few drafts with players like Chandler Hutchison, Denzel Valentine, Bobby Portis and Jordan Bell—who Chicago traded for cash considerations to the Golden State Warriors in a move that did not go over well with fans. 

Now with Karnisovas attempting to lure in Connelly, his planned emphasis on player scouting and development is clear.