Bulls rumors: Arturas Karnisovas didn’t think Tyrese Haliburton was ‘serious prospect’ amid Patrick Williams ‘fixation’

From the top down, the Chicago Bulls are apparently making some big changes. Just before they closed out the season at 31-51, they made the bombshell decision to fire Vice President Arturas Karnisovas and GM Marc Eversley.

Now, Chicago is waiting on pins and needles to see what happens with head coach Billy Donovan. But this period of transition has enabled many to reflect on the Bulls’ shortcomings.

One of which was that Karnisovas and Eversley passed up on Tyrese Haliburton to keep Patrick Williams, per Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times.

According to Cowley’s reporting, Karnisovas and Eversley didn’t have a real knack for talent when they came on board in 2020. It was then that they chose Williams, the No.4 pick out of Florida State. At the same time, Haliburton was the 12th pick coming out of Iowa State.

Apparently, many Chicago staff were pushing Karnisovas and Eversley to look at him, but they said no.

Ultimately, the Indiana Pacers would snatch up Haliburton in a trade with the Sacramento Kings. From there, he became one of the best sharpshooters in the league. His clutch performances in the 2025 Playoffs led the Pacers to the Finals against the OKC Thunder. Though they lost in seven games and Haliburton went out with an ACL injury, he was the catalyst.

Meanwhile, Williams has become one of the most objectively inconsistent players, especially during this season. He was brought in with the hope of strengthening the defense, but he has found himself being taken out of the starting lineup. Many are pointing out that he hasn’t developed into an aggressive presence on defense nor a potent offensive weapon.

Ultimately, Williams finished 2026 averaging career lows of 6.8 points and 2.8 rebounds per game.

Also, many criticize Chicago for signing Williams to a five-year, $90 million contract in 2024.

From the top down, the Chicago Bulls are apparently making some big changes. Just before they closed out the season at 31-51, they made the bombshell decision to fire Vice President Arturas Karnisovas and GM Marc Eversley. Now, Chicago is waiting on pins and needles to see what happens with head coach Billy Donovan.