Bulls Front Office Faces Questions as Club Turns to Youth, Prepares Rose Jersey Retirement
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CHICAGO — After three straight seasons stuck just below the .500 mark and three consecutive exits in the play-in tournament, the Chicago Bulls enter the 2025-26 campaign under intense scrutiny. Columnist Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times reports that president Arturas Karnisovas and general manager Marc Eversley have yet to outline a clear path to acquiring an All-Star–level player through free agency or trade this summer.
While the front office searches for solutions, the organization will honor its past on Jan. 24 by retiring the No. 1 jersey of former MVP guard Derrick Rose. The Chicago native, who ended his playing career last summer, becomes only the fifth Bull to receive the distinction, joining Michael Jordan (23), Scottie Pippen (33), Jerry Sloan (4) and Bob Love (10). Rose spent eight seasons with the franchise, missing the entire 2012-13 season and all but 10 games in 2013-14 because of knee injuries.
In lieu of adding a proven star, Chicago is pinning its hopes on forward Matas Buzelis, a 2025 All-Rookie Second Team selection, to emerge as a long-term cornerstone. The 20-year-old is expected to assume a larger role in his second NBA season.
The roster shuffle has also placed forward Patrick Williams in a precarious position only one year after he signed a five-year, $90 million contract. The Bulls’ lone summer transaction — acquiring defensive-minded forward Isaac Okoro — could reduce Williams’s minutes and raise questions about his future with the team.
Source: Hoops Rumors
