[Collier] “… before [Patrick Williams] hit free agency, the team signed him to a 5-year, $90 million contract. Several staffers said they were blindsided by the terms. “It took probably 3 or 4 years for them to come off of the, ‘Well, he could be Kawhi,’ statements,” the ex-staffer told ESPN.”
“UNDERSTANDING HOW STEEP the task is for Graham to do so, however, requires an understanding of the stasis of the past six years under Karnisovas and Eversley.
Interviews with more than 20 sources, current and former employees and others with intimate knowledge of the team’s operations, describe the franchise as riddled with top-to-bottom poor decision-making, misguided loyalties and an insular culture that exacerbated both.”
“Karnisovas was seven months into his job and enamored with 18-year-old Florida State forward Patrick Williams.Multiple people in the scouting and analytics departments pushed, instead, for the Bulls to draft Tyrese Haliburton, the 6-foot-5 point guard out of Iowa State, sources with knowledge of those discussions told ESPN. They liked Williams but implored Karnisovas and Eversley to look past Haliburton’s funky jump shot and consider how often the ball actually went in. Their efforts were not only futile but served as an early warning sign of what they say was a leadership team that often developed “tunnel vision” when they liked a player, multiple staffers told ESPN, and a disregard of their staffers.”
“In June 2024, after his fourth season, Williams was a restricted free agent. He had averaged just 10 points and 3.9 rebounds in 43 games that season, and, before he hit free agency, the team signed him to a five-year, $90 million contract.
Several staffers said they were blindsided by the terms.“It took probably three or four years for them to come off of the, ‘Well, he could be Kawhi,’ statements,” the ex-staffer told ESPN. “Those things continued to linger even after Patrick pretty demonstrably proved that he was not going to be Kawhi.”
“BUT SOME STAFFERS who spoke to ESPN never felt that clarity. They said they often learned of moves their own front office made when the public did.”
“Even when all members of the front office settled a question together, it was common for Karnisovas, Eversley and assistant general managers J.J. Polk and Pat Connelly to host a smaller meeting, where some staffers believed the real calls were made.”
“We would come in for these supposed group meetings, and it was very obvious that the choices had already been made,” one ex-front office staffer told ESPN. “You’re not doing me any favors by having me sit in the passenger seat with my own fake steering wheel.”