Bulls exec Arturas Karnisovas
continues to preach patience from frustrated fans
[September 30, 2025]
By ANDREW SELIGMAN
CHICAGO (AP) — If nothing else, Arturas Karnisovas is sticking to
his guns.
The Chicago Bulls' top basketball executive had a familiar request
for frustrated fans, stressing patience while talking about not
skipping steps, just as he did at the end of last season.
“We have to be patient,” he said Monday at the team's media day. “We
have to do it the right way and we can't skip steps. For this team,
for next year, we've got to show growth. We've got to get better
every year. We saw the glimpse at the end of last year. We also saw
how we played against Miami (in a play-in loss). Those lessons are
learned.”
Chicago has just one playoff appearance in five seasons since
Karnisovas was hired as executive vice president of basketball
operations. The Bulls return largely intact after going 39-43 for
the second straight season and finishing ninth in the Eastern
Conference.
A team that went 15-5 down the regular-season stretch only to get
knocked out of the play-in tournament for the third year in a row by
the Heat with a blowout loss at the United Center had a rather quiet
offseason.
The Bulls drafted Noa Essengue out of the French Basketball League
with the No. 12 pick and traded Lonzo Ball to Cleveland for Isaac
Okoro. But other than that, the roster looks pretty much the same.
The most notable move was re-signing Josh Giddey to a four-year
contract extension.
The Bulls haven't had an All-Star since DeMar DeRozan in 2023. And
the lack of a franchise cornerstone player is glaring, particularly
in a more open Eastern Conference, with Boston's Jayson Tatum and
Indiana's Tyrese Haliburton recovering from torn Achilles tendons.
They're banking on guards Coby White and Giddey to take their games
to the next level after playing at near All-Star levels last season,
as well as Matas Buzelis coming off a promising rookie year.
“Team success ... is essential to getting your guys to be
All-Stars,” Karnisovas said. “We are focused on winning. Those guys
have to get better this year. Team success will establish them if
they're good enough to be All-Stars or not. ... We've got to focus
on our internal development and continue adding players in the
draft."
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Chicago Bulls executive vice president, basketball operations
Artūras Karnišovas, left, talks to media as head coach Billy
Donovan, right, listens at a news conference during the NBA
basketball team's media day in Chicago, Monday, Sept. 29, 2025. (AP
Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
Asked if the playoffs are the goal this season,
Karnisovas responded: “At the end of the day, our ultimate goal is
obviously to win the championship. We're in a position where we have
to focus on our growth, what we've done well last year and what we
need to do this year.”
The Bulls need Giddey, who had seven triple-doubles, to develop into
a more reliable defender and for Buzelis to continue to build on the
progress he showed over the course of last season. They also have a
strong trade chip in center Nikola Vucevic, who has an expiring
contract.
White, Ayo Dosunmu, Kevin Huerter, Zach Collins and Jevon Carter
also are set to come off the books at the end of the season. White,
who averaged a career-high 20.4 points last season, insisted he
hasn't given much thought to free agency. He will be limited at
least at the start of training camp after he strained his calf in
August.
“I'm not really thinking about next year, I'm thinking about now and
how I can help my team win and become better in every aspect of the
game,” White said. “So for me, it's not really on my brain or
anything like that. I love being here. I love the front office. I
love the relationship I've built with Coach (Billy Donovan).
Obviously, me and my teammates are super close. I'm enjoying every
moment.”
Dosunmu, a Chicago product, said he's focused on the more immediate
future than where he might be playing next year. He said he's
feeling “great” coming off season-ending shoulder surgery.
“It really was a pretty straightforward recovery from the time I had
surgery to following the protocols and the steps to get back,"
Dosunmu said. “I had a great team, great strength team.”
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