The Bulls could be preparing a bold move to nab Golden State’s key decision-maker
The offseason has arrived early in Chicago. The Bulls have fired executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas and general manager Marc Eversley before the current campaign has even concluded, creating a sudden vacancy at the top of their front office.
What makes the move ripple far beyond the Midwest is the name that has already surfaced as a prime target: Golden State Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. According to a report from Kurt Helin of NBC Sports, Dunleavy is among the early names connected to the Bulls’ opening. While Helin is quick to note that this may be more of a “wish list play” by Chicago and “highly unlikely” Dunleavy actually leaves Golden State, the mere linkage is telling.
Dunleavy’s history with the Bulls runs deeper than most realize. After beginning his playing career with the Warriors, he spent three seasons in Chicago from 2013 to 2016. It was during that stretch that he forged a meaningful relationship with current Warriors forward Jimmy Butler — a connection that later proved instrumental when Golden State acquired the six-time All-Star from the Miami Heat at last February’s trade deadline.
On paper, the Bulls’ situation might appear tempting. Chicago is widely viewed as having less immediate pressure and a younger core compared to the Warriors’ veteran-heavy roster. Yet the reality of leaving Golden State is far more complicated. Dunleavy replaced four-time championship-winning executive Bob Myers after the 2022-23 season and signed a long-term contract whose exact length and financial terms were never publicly disclosed. Joe Lacob’s ownership group has consistently shown it is willing to invest at the highest level; any serious pursuit by the Bulls would likely require an offer so lucrative that Lacob simply refuses to match it.
Even so, the interest itself hands Dunleavy a subtle but powerful piece of leverage.
The 45-year-old executive has faced criticism from parts of the Warriors fan base for certain decisions, most notably his first major move — trading Jordan Poole for a 38-year-old Chris Paul. At the same time, he has earned praise for the Butler acquisition and for his sharp eye in identifying undervalued talent with late second-round draft picks. With the Bulls now publicly (or semi-publicly) circling, Dunleavy is well-positioned to walk into his next conversation with Lacob holding a fresh bargaining chip: external validation that another franchise sees him as the solution to their front-office rebuild.
Whether the Bulls’ interest ever materializes into a formal offer remains to be seen. What is clear is that Chicago’s abrupt front-office shake-up has already sent an unexpected tremor through the league — one that could quietly strengthen Mike Dunleavy Jr.’s hand in Oakland while forcing the Warriors to confront the possibility of losing a key architect at a critical moment in their contention window.
In the cutthroat world of NBA front offices, sometimes the most disruptive moves are the ones that never actually happen. The mere threat of losing Dunleavy may be the most valuable outcome the Bulls can deliver right now — a sneaky power move that changes the leverage game for everyone involved.