Logical decision-making has been sparse in the Windy City, and no, I'm not talking about the Chicago Bears. The Chicago Bulls, notoriously led by Artūras Karnišovas's decision-making prowess, have zigged while the rest of the NBA has zagged in the worst way.
To say Karnišovas has routinely made poor decisions is debatable. Karnišovas notably signed Patrick Williams to a much-maligned $90 million contract, and he traded defensive stalwart Alex Caruso to the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for only Josh Giddey, failing to acquire draft compensation in doing so. But beyond those two moves, his tenure as Vice President of Basketball Operations isn't littered with substandard decisions. The Karnišovas era is better described as sluggish.
Artūras Karnišovas has largely stood pat as the Bulls' decision-maker
The VP of basketball operations has seemingly made a living in the middle of the pack. His lack of aggression is why fans and pundits alike have condemned Chicago's lead decision-maker. Karnišovas took years to trade veterans Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan, and he's yet to jettison 34-year-old big man Nikola Vucevic. Furthermore, Karnišovas's zigging approach has yielded a lack of draft capital for a mediocre team.
There isn't a whole lot of bad to say about Karnišovas, but not much good either. However, looking through a lens of optimism, the VP has made several subtle moves that have inspired confidence. Karnišovas drafted Matas Buzelis with the 11th overall pick a season ago, should still be lauded for acquiring Giddey (even though he failed to acquire draft capital), and finally traded LaVine to rid the Bulls' payroll of nearly $150 million over the next three seasons.
He's finally beginning to make some noise, and a recent rumor has all but confirmed Karnišovas' new bold strategy. According to Action Network's Matt Moore, via his Hardwood Paroxysms substack, the Bulls are "unlikely to retain both Josh Giddey and Coby White." Without reading too deep into Moore's report, the NBA guru made sure to state this rumor is purely outside speculation, stemming from two Eastern Conference personnel figures.
An interesting rumor leads us to believe a roster shake-up is near
Moore elaborated, writing, "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.”
Moore is absolutely correct; that doesn't sound typical of Chicago. Continuity is the Bulls' bread and butter under Karnišovas. Retaining Giddey and White moving forward seemed like a foregone conclusion. Now it's fair to wonder if Chicago's current backcourt is its backcourt of the future.
One would hope Moore's report stems from Chicago's looming contract decisions. Giddey is on the brink of signing an exorbitant pact, while White is up for a massive pay raise in the 2026 offseason after playing the past two seasons for roughly $12 million per annum.
If there's legitimacy to Moore and the Eastern Conference personnel figures' claims, Karnišovas is ahead of the game. Splitting up Giddey and White isn't ideal, but it might be necessary. Forking up roughly $70 million per season to two players who have yet to sniff the All-Star Game is illogical. Sure, Giddey and White are on upward trajectories at 22 and 25 years old, respectively. Still, extending both guards isn't feasible to construct a well-balanced roster in the near future.
Karnišovas might finally be zagging alongside the NBA's elite decision-makers. Well-rounded, complete teams, evidenced by the Thunder and Indiana Pacers' NBA Finals runs, are all the rage under the strenuous Collective Bargaining Agreement. With strict salary cap regulations, paying two above-average players star-level money is irrational.
