The Bulls had an opportunity to “take care of all family business at once” when they released G Jaden Ivey Monday after his social media rant about the LGBTQ movement, but ownership “stopped after dismissing Ivey” instead of also reshaping the front office, according to Joe Cowley of the CHICAGO SUN-TIMES. Ivey, who was let go for conduct detrimental to the team, “should have been followed by the front office, which did no homework on him before acquiring him from the Pistons.” Then ownership “should have worked out a deal with coach Billy Donovan in which he could choose” the GM/exec “he wanted in place.” In reality, the Bulls “continue to learn” that EVP/Basketball Operations Arturas Karnišovas cannot “handle the job.” The acquisition of Ivey itself “is not grounds for Karnišovas to be let go.” Cowley: “What it is, however, is the latest mistake dropped on a dumpster pile that was already in flames.” If Karnišovas stays, there is a “growing chance Donovan will leave at the end of the season.” Then, the Reinsdorfs will “leave Karnišovas with a coaching search, a draft choice in the lottery and free-agent decisions with money to spend” (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 3/31).
QUICK MOVE: In Chicago, Julia Poe wrote the Bulls “moved more quickly” than expected with Ivey, who made his first comments in the morning and was waived “barely five hours later.” But cutting Ivey meant the Bulls “had to give up on their biggest swing of the trade deadline.” This is “not the first time Karnišovas took an unnecessary risk on a clearly troubled player,” but the front office “should be allotted some grace” for Ivey. Perhaps Karnišovas “received assurances that Ivey was receiving sufficient support to negate clear red flags in his personality profile.” Poe: “It’s impossible to extend this grace, however, to an executive too cowardly to face any public acknowledgment of his error. Karnišovas offered nothing — not a public statement, not a private comment — in the wake of Ivey’s tirades.” Instead, he “placed that burden once again on the shoulders of Donovan” (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 3/31).
ANY THOUGHT? SI’s Chris Mannix wrote Ivey “looks bad here,” but the Bulls front office “takes a hit, too.” Mannix: “Did Chicago check him out? Or were the Bulls so eager to buy low on an ex-lottery pick that they ignored everything else?” Interestingly, Bulls Dir/Player Development Austin Dufault was on the Pistons staff during Ivey’s first season. Mannix wondered if Dufault was consulted. Fortunately, the Bulls did not “give up much for Ivey,” but now they “have nothing to show for it” (SI, 3/31).