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As well as building out his front office and finding that Lewin type, Graham has a coaching search to conduct as well as an NBA Draft to prepare for. The lottery is on Sunday, and the Bulls currently sit at Nos. 9 and 15 in the first round. Talent evaluation has been a strength for Graham, credited for the likes of Herb Jones and Trey Murphy III while he was in New Orleans, but also showing an ability to get off of players from a cap standpoint, moving Trae Young while Graham was in Atlanta last season. The good news for the 39-year-old? Besides multiple first-round picks in a loaded 2026 class, he’ll have a league-high $58 million in cap space this summer.
Shams Charania: Just in: The Chicago Bulls are hiring Atlanta Hawks senior vice president Bryson Graham as the franchise's new Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations, sources tell ESPN. Graham spent 15 years in New Orleans before joining Atlanta last offseason, rising from an intern to GM, and now becomes the Bulls top executive.
Shams Charania: Graham, 39, has been known across the NBA for a tremendous scouting eye and being part of successful finds in the draft and player acquisitions during his tenure with the Pelicans and Hawks. The Bulls conducted in-person interviews with candidates last week and mulled over three finalists — Graham, Detroit Pistons senior vice president Dennis Lindsey and Minnesota Timberwolves general manager Matt Lloyd — over the weekend before deciding on Graham on Monday.
Alexander-Walker said he feels emboldened that the team began something that they can keep building on. “It’s exciting and it’s promising,” Alexander-Walker said. “And it shows that there is something there. Anytime you can have success to any degree when you work really hard, it’s reassuring to the process that you’re on. “And it gives you that trial and error to say, ‘OK, we are doing the right thing. This is the right thing. Now, where did we go wrong along the way?’ Then you kind of, like, just reshape it and keep going and keep growing.”
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As of last week, his list of candidates to replace Arturas Karnisovas was down to Timberwolves general manager Matt Lloyd; Bryson Graham, the Hawks’ vice president of basketball operation; Pistons vice president Dennis Lindsey; and Celtics assistant GM Dave Lewin. All four are considered not only process-oriented but good at communicating their plans to ownership, fans and media. A source told the Sun-Times that although there was no clear-cut favorite for the job as of last Monday, Lloyd has taken the lead and could be named to the position in the next several days. That makes sense considering his long stint with the Bulls under former basketball operations chief John Paxson, who remains with the organization as an adviser and is said to be a strong Lloyd supporter.
![“I cursed out one of our defensive [coaches] for …](https://sportsdata.usatoday.com/gcdn/content-pipeline-sports-images/sports2/nba/players/522878.png?format=png8&auto=webp&quality=85,75&width=140)
At the end of Game 3, Hart was taken off McCollum and the Knicks were outlasted down the stretch. He wasn’t happy. “I cursed out one of our defensive [coaches] for taking me off him at the end of Game 3,” Hart said. Concerned about a similar move in Game 4, Hart marched into the coaches room at halftime — with the Knicks up by 14 — and preemptively struck. “I said, ‘I’m on him. Don’t take me off him. I’m guarding him,’ ” Hart said. “And that was the challenge I wanted.” The coaching staff obliged. And for the rest of the first-round series — which the Knicks clinched Thursday night in Atlanta — McCollum vanished under Hart’s physical presence.
In the last three games — with Hart as the main defender — McCollum averaged 11.3 points on 39.5 percent shooting and 10 percent on 3s, collecting way more turnovers (3.3 per game) than assists (1.3). Broken down further, McCollum, in Games 5 & 6, shot just 2-for-9 with four total points when Hart was the closest defender.
Yet I've received no indication to this point that the Hawks have designs on pursuing Antetokounmpo via trade this summer. Sources say that Atlanta is not eager to splurge for major roster additions, preferring to focus on internal improvement and addressing the futures of CJ McCollum and Jonathan Kuminga along with coach Quin Snyder (who has only one season left on his current contract).
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Knicks Videos: Jalen Brunson is asked if the Knicks played championship-level basketball against the Hawks: "It was a level to get out of the first round" On if they have another level to reach: "You want to improve every single day"
NBA Communications: New York Knicks center-forward Mitchell Robinson has been fined $50,000 and Atlanta Hawks guard Dyson Daniels has been fined $25,000 for their roles in an on-court altercation, it was announced today by James Jones, Executive Vice President, Head of Basketball Operations. With 4:39 remaining in the second quarter of the Knicks' 140-89 victory over the Hawks in Game 6 of their first-round playoff series on April 30 at State Farm Arena, Robinson and Daniels became entangled while battling for position during a free throw attempt. Both players escalated the altercation with Robinson continuing to aggressively pursue Daniels after the players had been separated. The altercation resulted in both players being assessed technical fouls and ejected.
Malik Brown: Zacch on his role change in the second half of the season: “I kept working, I had to stay ready no matter what. I feel like that was the biggest adjustment for me…”
Makik Brown: Buddy on what he envisions his role being next season: “Of course I want to play but if I’m called to a different role I’ll accept that. If I’m called to be one of those leaders and when my number is called, I’ll do that… “I’m not going to be one of those stubborn guys and say ‘I want to play’…”