Michael Winger, Los Angeles Clippers GM
Among the four names that K.C. pitched (outside of Webster and Karnisovas of course), the one that probably sticks out the most is the Los Angeles Clippers well-respected general manager Michael Winger. Starting out his managerial career in the NBA with the Cleveland Cavaliers, as the director of basketball operations in 2005-06, Winger worked his way up steadily in the last 15 years.
Winger has also served in various legal and admin roles with the Oklahoma City Thunder within the last decade, including the assistant general manager mostly under Sam Presti’s wing.
Most of the attention and recognition within the Clippers organization would fall to owner Steve Ballmer, head coach Doc Rivers, and president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank. But Winger is a big name that does get a lot of respect too. The Clippers made those big moves to land Kawhi and Paul George since he was hired as general manager back in 2018.
Justin Zanik, Utah Jazz GM
Maybe the most underrated name on this list of six front office candidates that the Bulls could go after starting now is the Utah Jazz general manager Justin Zanik. Back in 2012, Zanik was originally hired as the Jazz assistant general manager. He resigned from the position in 2015, and would later take on the same position with the Milwaukee Bucks a year later.
The Jazz saw players that stuck around in the news cycle for other reasons than solid play on the hardwood in game action over the course of the last month get a lot of attention. Guard Donovan Mitchell and center Rudy Gobert are very talented players that developed under Zanik’s watch. But their testing positive for COVID-19 last month was the original source of the hiatus to the NBA season.
Nonetheless, Zanik would still be a fast rising candidate that the Bulls could go after to land a more powerful voice in their front office.