Bulls to interview Cavs’ Mike Gansey, multiple others for GM vacancy

The Bulls are casting a wide net as they begin their search for a new head of basketball operations, and the early list is starting to take shape.

According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, Chicago has received permission to interview a group that includes Timberwolves GM Matt Lloyd, Pistons senior VP Dennis Lindsey, Hawks senior VP Bryson Graham, Cavaliers GM Mike Gansey and Spurs assistant GM Dave Telep. The Bulls also have interest in speaking with Austin Brown, who runs CAA’s basketball division.

Gansey has been a steady hand in Cleveland since taking over as GM in 2022, helping maintain the Cavs’ structure and pipeline. He was named G League Executive of the Year with the Canton Charge in 2017 and was promoted to Cavs assistant GM under Koby Altman later that year.

A former Olmstead Falls star who finished second only to LeBron James in Ohio Mr. Basketball voting, Gansey helped West Virginia reach the Elite Eight as a player in 2005.

Otherwise, it’s an interesting mix. Some familiar names, some rising ones, and at least one candidate with deep ties to Chicago.

Lloyd, for instance, started with the Bulls back in 1999 and worked his way through the organization before eventually landing front office roles in Orlando and Minnesota. Lindsey brings decades of experience and is currently part of a Pistons turnaround that has gone from the bottom of the standings to the top of the East in a short span.

Graham is known around the league as a strong evaluator of young talent after a long run in New Orleans. Telep offers a different path, blending years in San Antonio’s system with a background in scouting and media.

Then there is Brown, a Chicago native who represents several high-profile players and has been on the radar for front office roles before, including with the Bulls a few years back.

All of this comes after the organization made a sweeping change earlier this month, moving on from Arturas Karnisovas and Marc Eversley in what amounted to a full reset.