Bulls giving Bryson Graham control, eye front office overhaul

The Bulls are taking a swing. Now comes the follow-through.

Chicago’s hire of Bryson Graham as head of basketball operations is being viewed as a bet on upside, similar to recent moves by the Hornets and Pistons, according to K.C. Johnson of Chicago Sports Network.

There are no guarantees. There rarely are with first-time lead executives. But the Bulls are expected to give Graham something important. Control.

Per Johnson and ESPN’s Shams Charania and Jamal Collier, Graham will have full autonomy to shape the front office, along with the resources to build it out the way he sees fit. That could mean changes to the current structure, even with familiar faces in place.

Graham has prior ties to members of Chicago’s staff from his time in New Orleans, though that doesn’t necessarily ensure continuity.

Around the league, there is curiosity about whether ownership will fully support those changes. Some observers have questioned the Bulls’ willingness to invest in scouting and analytics in the past, per The Athletic.

Others push back on that idea.

Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times reported that ownership has not been the issue, noting previous leadership operated with a smaller setup that lagged behind the rest of the NBA.

Either way, the expectation now is growth.

“We’ve been playing checkers,” one source told Cowley. “Now it’s time to play chess.”

That’s the direction. Now the Bulls have to prove they can execute it.