The Chicago Bulls have decided to clean house. Before the 2025-26 campaign has even reached its final chapter, the organization has fired executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas and general manager Marc Eversley. It’s a bold move, the kind of early offseason shake-up that signals a franchise desperate to change its trajectory.
Now, the Bulls are looking for replacements. And according to a report from Kurt Helin of NBC Sports, one name on their wish list is currently employed by the Golden State Warriors.
Mike Dunleavy Jr.
The same Mike Dunleavy who is just about to complete his third season as general manager of the Warriors. The same Mike Dunleavy who helped orchestrate the trade for Jimmy Butler at last February’s deadline. The same Mike Dunleavy who has been learning on the job, making mistakes, growing, and slowly earning the trust of a fanbase that was skeptical from day one.
Warriors promote Mike Dunleavy Jr. to general manager – ESPN
Helin acknowledges that this may be “more of a wish list play by the Bulls” than a realistic possibility. “It is highly unlikely Dunleavy leaves Golden State,” he writes. And on the surface, that makes sense. The Warriors are a premier franchise. They have Stephen Curry. They have championship pedigree. They have resources and stability that few teams can match.
But the NBA is a league of surprises. And sometimes, the most unexpected moves are the ones that actually happen.
The Bulls’ Pitch: Less Pressure, More Young Talent
So what would Chicago be offering? And why would Dunleavy even consider leaving the Warriors?
Let’s start with the obvious: the Bulls are not the Warriors. They don’t have the same expectations. They don’t have a dynasty to maintain. In Chicago, the bar is lower. The pressure is different. And for an executive who has spent the last three years navigating the intense spotlight of Golden State—where every move is scrutinized, every draft pick analyzed, every trade debated—a change of scenery might be appealing.
There’s also the roster itself. The Bulls have accumulated a solid collection of young talent. They are not a championship contender, but they are not a disaster either. They are a team on the rise, with assets and cap flexibility that could allow a new front office to put its stamp on the organization quickly.
Dunleavy also has history with the Bulls. He played in Chicago from 2013 to 2016, three seasons that coincided with the prime years of Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah, and a young Jimmy Butler. That’s where he built the relationship with Butler that would prove so valuable when the Warriors acquired the six-time All-Star from the Miami Heat last year.
Familiarity matters. Trust matters. And Dunleavy already has both when it comes to Chicago.
The Warriors’ Reality: A GM Under Fire
Of course, the Bulls’ interest in Dunleavy says something about how he is perceived around the league. He is viewed as a rising executive, someone who has handled the unenviable task of replacing Bob Myers—the architect of four championships—with grace and competence.
But not everyone is convinced. Dunleavy has been criticized by a segment of the Warriors’ fanbase for some of his moves. His first major decision as general manager was to trade Jordan Poole for a then-38-year-old Chris Paul. It was a deal that made financial sense—Poole’s contract was a looming albatross—but it also alienated a young player who had been a key part of the 2022 championship run.
That trade, in retrospect, looks better than it did at the time. But it still left a sour taste for some.
On the other hand, Dunleavy has earned praise for other moves. The Jimmy Butler acquisition was a masterstroke, bringing in a proven playoff performer to pair with Curry. He has also shown a knack for identifying talent late in the draft, finding value with second-round picks when other teams were swinging and missing.
The Warriors are 37-42 this season. They are locked into the No. 10 seed in the Western Conference. They are heading to the play-in tournament. And while injuries have played a major role in their struggles, some of the blame inevitably falls on the front office.
Dunleavy is not on the hot seat. But he’s not untouchable either.
The Leverage Play: Using Bulls Interest to Get a New Deal
Here’s where things get interesting.
Dunleavy replaced Bob Myers after the 2022-23 season, signing a long-term contract whose specific terms—length, money—were never publicly disclosed. He has two years remaining on that deal, by most accounts.
But the Bulls’ interest gives him leverage. If Joe Lacob and the Warriors want to keep their general manager, they may need to sweeten his deal. An extension. A raise. A promotion. Something that makes staying in Golden State more attractive than leaving for Chicago.
Dunleavy would be wise to use this to his advantage. He’s not the first executive to have another team’s interest used as a bargaining chip, and he won’t be the last. In a league where job security is never guaranteed, you take the leverage when you can get it.
The question is whether Lacob will play ball. The Warriors’ owner has never been shy about spending money on players. But on front office personnel? That’s a different conversation.
The Bigger Picture: What This Means for Golden State
Let’s not pretend that losing Mike Dunleavy would be a minor issue for the Warriors. It wouldn’t.
The Warriors are at a crossroads. Stephen Curry is 38 years old and still playing at an elite level, but the window is closing. Jimmy Butler is 36 and coming off a torn ACL. Draymond Green is 36. The core that defined a generation is in its final act.
Whoever is in charge of the front office over the next few years will face the most challenging period of the post-dynasty era. The decisions made—about the draft, about trades, about when to pivot from the old guard to the new—will determine how long the Warriors stay relevant.
Dunleavy has shown flashes of competence. He has also made mistakes. But continuity matters. Stability matters. And losing a general manager who has spent three years learning the intricacies of this organization would be a setback.
If the Bulls are serious about pursuing Dunleavy, the Warriors will have to decide how much they value him. Is he indispensable? Or is he replaceable?
The Verdict: Unlikely, But Not Impossible
Let’s be clear: Mike Dunleavy Jr. leaving the Golden State Warriors for the Chicago Bulls would be a surprise. Not a shock—the NBA has seen crazier things—but a genuine surprise.
Dunleavy has history in Chicago, but he has built something in Golden State. He has relationships with Curry, with Butler, with the coaching staff. He has the trust of ownership, even if that trust has been tested. And he has the chance to be the general manager who navigates the Warriors through their post-dynasty transition.
That’s not nothing. That’s a lot, actually.
But the Bulls are offering a different kind of opportunity. Less pressure. More young talent. A chance to build something from the ground up without the weight of four championship banners hanging over his head.
Helin is probably right that this is “more of a wish list play” than a realistic scenario. But wish lists have a way of becoming reality when the offer is right.
Dunleavy may not leave Golden State. But he would be foolish not to listen. And the Warriors would be foolish not to take the threat seriously.
The offseason has come early for the Bulls. For the Warriors, it might come even sooner than they think.