From the day Artūras Karnišovas took over as the Chicago Bulls' executive vice president of basketball operations, he's made clear his goal to return the franchise to relevance.
And while the new-and-improved iteration of the Bulls that Karnišovas crafted still have yet to prove they are a true force to be reckoned with, one prominent figure from the franchise's glory years likes the progress he's seen thus far.
In a recent interview with TODAY's Craig Melvin, here was Michael Jordan's answer to a question regarding the teams he sees as contenders for the upcoming NBA season:
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Yes, Jordan has taken notice of the Bulls' "big, big changes" and sees them as a potential top-tier contender in the East. That's high praise from a figure — and competitor — of his stature. Remember: Jordan owns a significant ownership stake in the Charlotte Hornets.
But the Bulls earned buzz during their active 2021 offseason, which featured the marquee acquisitions of DeMar DeRozan and Lonzo Ball, plus the value pickups of Alex Caruso, Tony Bradley and others. With only two players remaining from the roster Karnišovas first inherited (Zach LaVine and Coby White), the changes of the last 18 months certainly qualify as "big," and the Bulls certainly appear positioned to snap their current four-year playoff drought.
Now all that remains is the only thing that matters: The games. Then we'll know how close this team is to taking a step toward Karnišovas' Day 1 goal.
