After agreeing to become the majority owner of the Chicago Bulls in 1985, it’s time for Jerry Reinsdorf to take back ownership of franchise made famous by six-time NBA champion Michael Jordan. Early in his tenure as the team’s head honcho, the Bulls made every effort to take advantage of Jordan’s oozing talent. Though he was in just his second season, the UNC product had literally stepped into the league as an MVP candidate.
These days, the Bulls don’t have that type of player on their roster. However, the Bulls are projected to be a lottery team in 2026; a year in which there are actually quite a few star prospects. The most well-regarded are BYU wing AJ Dybantsa, Kansas guard Darryn Peterson, and Duke forward Cameron Boozer.
It’s Time For Jerry Reinsdorf To Take Back Ownership Of Bulls
What gives this trio of Dybantsa, Peterson and Boozer true MVP potential is that they fit into the archetypes of former MVPs.
Dybantsa is a natural scorer with a prototypical frame for a wing, but can impact the game in every way. At 6-foot-9 and 210 pounds, his combination and size and skill could be compared to three-time NBA MVP, Larry Bird. Peterson’s another instinctual offensive player –albeit with a more defined passing game –who’ll make winning defensive plays. At 6-foot-5 and 195 pounds, his blend of tools is closest to Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
The most well-rounded of the group is Boozer, an inside-outside scorer who’s a more fluid offensive creator than given credit for. At 6-foot-9 and 235 pounds, the MVP candidate he mirrors most is former Utah Jazz power forward Karl Malone. Baylor freshman Tounde Yessofou is a prospect that could sneak into those conversations. A hyper-athletic wing at 6-foot-5 and 215 pounds, he has shades of Minnesota Timberwolves young two-time MVP candidate Anthony Edwards.
Because of the NBA Draft’s lottery system, the Bulls can’t really bank on being in position to draft any of them. Even still, if they lose enough games, they could land that Jordan-type prospect they’ve been missing for 25 years.
Eye Of The Beholder
The draft lottery isn’t the only reason to be concerned about Chicago missing out on a top talent next year. Since the Bulls hired Arturas Karnisovas and Marc Eversley in 2020, they’ve yet to hit a home run on a draft pick. In what could be a franchise-altering offseason, having him as the front office could be cataclysmic.
Slow Burn
In their first year on the job, Chicago drafted Florida State forward Patrick Williams fourth overall. Fast forward to today and they’re so dissatisfied with the job Williams has done, they’re trying to trade him. Their second-round pick was used on Marko Simonovic, who hasn’t been in the NBA since 2022-23.
In 2021, the Bulls managed to hit on No. 38 pick Ayo Dosunmu, an All-Rookie selection that’s developed relatively steadily. In 2022, they took Arizona product Dalen Terry with the 18th overall pick. After 170 career games, the 6-foot-7 guard has career averages of 3.5 points per game.
TBD…
In 2024, Chicago was able to draft G League Ignite alum Matas Buzelis with the 11th overall pick. This would mark the first time the Karnisovas and Eversley-led Bulls drafted a consensus top-25 high school recruit. Coming out of Sunrise Christian Academy, Buzelis was ranked fifth in the ESPN 100. Last season, the 6-foot-10 forward averaged 8.6 points per game. That’s decent for a rookie but doesn’t say that he can be counted on to lead the team.
This year, Chicago drafted French forward Noa Essengue with the 12th overall pick. After averaging 10.7 points per game in Germany’s Basketball Bundesliga (BBL) last season, he averaged 12.7 points per game in the 2026 NBA Summer League. There are reasons to like his selection, particularly his play at the defensive end. However, he doesn’t seem like the building block they’ve been missing.
That’s Not All, Folks
Karnisovas and Eversley’s inability to maximize the Bulls draft capital is only part of the conversation.
Their transaction history is generally fraudulent. They’ve dropped the ball in free agency, failing to sign a full-time starter. They don’t consistently take advantage of the trade market. Though they’ve been able to land high-quality players, they haven’t gotten a proper return on investment on stars like DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine.
Really, whatever they say in trade negotations must not sound too good. Just consider that a two-time All-Star in Nikola Vucevic not generating solid offers but the largely undecorated Jusuf Nurkic being used to acquire longtime starter Collin Sexton. A melding of their weaknesses can be seen in the Josh Giddey situation. Initially criticized for trading renowned defender Alex Caruso for a flawed player on an expiring contract, they’re now under fire for Giddey now being unsigned.
Last but not least, they’ve extended the contract of head coach Billy Donovan, who’s lost more games than he’s won.
This is the definition of NBA purgatory (h/t @zachkram @ESPNNBA) pic.twitter.com/9jZDpX82wz
— Quenton Albertie (ℚ) (@qshironalberti3) August 22, 2025
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
It’s no wonder the Bulls are 164-164 over the past four seasons, the definition of mediocre.
The Last Word On The Bulls
Chicago’s incompetence is unequivocally connected to the decisions made by their front office. Therefore, if the organization is to escape NBA purgatory, the ownership group needs a new executive vice president and general manager. They could even consolidate the roles, creating a single president of basketball operations position. With that being said, a number of well-regarded individuals with an executive background are available.
Ideally, the Bulls would convince former Golden State Warriors general manager Bob Myers to get back in the front office. Because of the aura and mystique surrounding the franchise, he could be fascinated by the challenge. Still, it may be a pipe dream.
Ironically, Myers headed a Warriors squad that won 73 games in 2015-16, breaking the single-season win record set by Jordan’s Bulls in 1995-96.
© Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
The post It’s Time For Bulls Owner To Take Back Ownership Of Team appeared first on Last Word On Basketball.