The Chicago Bulls fired Arturas Karnisovas and Marc Eversley on Monday afternoon, and trading for Josh Giddey is the move that finally got the man Bill Simmons awarded as the worst GM in the NBA fired. Karnisovas made plenty of questionable decisions in his six seasons running the Bulls, but none was worse than passing on offers of multiple first-round picks to deal Alex Caruso straight up for Josh Giddey. Everyone in the basketball universe thought Chicago was also getting draft capital, but none came. It was a straight-up deal for a player the Thunder just benched in the playoffs.
Giddey has become a problematic building block in Chicago. His jumper has improved, but the Bulls gave him a four-year contract worth $100 million. That is starting point guard money for a subpar defender who has struggled to impact winning. The Bulls have a negative-5.0 net rating with Giddey on the floor this season, but were 2.9 points per 100 possessions better when he played.
The Bulls are facing a rebuild and do not have a true building block in Giddey. This was the story of Karnisovas’ tenure. He kept trading for almost stars that put up numbers, but don’t help the team win. The Caruso for Giddey swap was the final straw. It ultimately got the Bulls to fire him and rebuild.
Bulls fans should love Josh Giddey trade because it got Arturas Karnisovas fired
Chicago went 224-254 in Karnisovas' tenure leading the team. They were always in the Play-In Tournament and won just three postseason games in six years. This is the Bulls. An iconic franchise that is known for winning championships. Being mediocre and getting one home postseason gate is not good enough. Fans want excellence, and that was never going to happen with Karnisovas in charge.
Without the Giddey trade, the Bulls might still be in the Play-In. Alex Caruso is one of the best defenders in the NBA, and fans know it doesn’t take much to finish tenth in the Eastern Conference. Giddey’s production that doesn’t result in wins has put the Bulls into the lottery and got Karnisovas and his front office fired.
Everything is now in flux in Chicago. Bobby Marks made it clear that the Bulls face an important offseason, which now starts with finding a new leader to build the roster.
Chicago will enter the offseason with a lottery pick and projected league high $65M in cap space.
— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) April 6, 2026
A lot of work to do for the new front office.
The Bulls will have money to spend and a high draft pick to pair with Matas Buzelis. Things could come together quickly, or Chicago could go full tank mode. Trading for unwanted contracts to accumulate draft picks may be the Bulls' easiest path back to title contention. It would take years, but they just tried and failed by doing quick fixes.
Josh Giddey’s future is now in flux. Karnisovas traded for him and paid him like a starting point guard, but he’s gone. The questions about Giddey’s shooting, defense, and impact on winning remain. The next lead decision-maker has to decide if the 23-year-old is a cornerstone piece or someone the previous regime overpaid for.
Chicago Bulls fans should love the Josh Giddey trade because it was the move that finally got Arturas Karnisovas fired. The GM’s days were numbered for years, and his tenure with the Bulls can only be described as a disaster. The Giddey trade was problematic at best, but the leadership changes don’t happen without it. Bulls fans should view the deal as a win for that fact alone.