Chad Buchanan, Indiana Pacers GM
The Indiana Pacers are a good model of consistency that the Bulls could rely upon in the Central Division. While the Bulls haven’t had a playoff berth since 2017, the Pacers have made the playoffs in every year. The Pacers are currently sitting on a four season playoff streak, that should extend to five if the NBA gets back up and running to finish the current season’s schedule.
Pacers general manager Chad Buchanan is a name that mostly flies under-the-radar in front office searches among the bigger market teams in the NBA. He’s served as the assistant general manager of the Charlotte Hornets and as the Pacers GM since 2015. Prior to that point, he was the director of college scouting for roughly a decade with the Portland Trail Blazers.
Under his watch in Charlotte, Portland, and Indiana, Buchanan helped to draft and develop a number of big time talents. The Pacers developed the likes of shooting guard Victor Oladipo and first-time All-Star selection Domantas Sabonis of late. The Blazers drafted the star guard pairing of Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum while Buchanan was on staff there. And the Hornets developed point guard Kemba Walker while he was in Charlotte.
Adam Simon, Miami Heat VP Basketball Operations/Assistant GM
Another name that would breed a new level of consistency within the Bulls organization if he was brought aboard, given his recent track record, is the Miami Heat positional equivalent of Paxson. Adam Simon is the vice president of basketball operations and assistant general manager under Pat Riley’s direction in South Beach.
Simon served with the Heat in various roles for roughly 25 years now. He started as a video coordinator intern with the Heat back during the 1995-96 season. Simon was also the G-League Executive of the Year in 2016, when he was the general manager of basketball operations with the Sioux Falls Skyforce.