The Chicago Bulls’ front office has doomed them to NBA purgatory for years now, and their only hope could be bringing in a fresh face like Calvin Booth. Booth was most recently the general manager of the Nuggets and helped build their 2023 championship team. It’s clear that the Bulls need to move on from their current leadership under Arturas Karnisovas; Booth might be just the man to take over next.
Calvin Booth’s basketball resume is impressive
Booth was fired by the Nuggets late last season after disagreements with head coach Mike Malone (who was also fired). But prior to that, he had a string of excellent moves that turned the Nuggets into a perennial title contender. Booth was able to maximize the returns from his trades and free agent signings to build a championship team.
Of course, he had the luxury of building around a true superstar in Nikola Jokic—something the Bulls desperately lack. But Booth’s shrewd moves after Jokic’s emergence also helped bring out his star’s best. The most significant move was probably trading for Aaron Gordon in 2021; Gordon ended up being the missing piece to complete the Nuggets’ starting lineup.
And Booth showed great talent recognition, too. Many of the young players he took chances on, such as Peyton Watson, are now breaking out for the Nuggets and extending their title window. Years before their best play, Booth was able to see their potential and how it would fit into Denver’s rotation.
If he can do the same for the Bulls, it could help Chicago rebuild even with a middling record. Although they might not have the highest draft picks, they can still acquire talented young players with great scouting. For context, Booth selected Watson, who was recently named the Western Conference Player of the Week, with the 30th overall pick in 2022.
The Bulls seem uncertain of which direction to take going forward, but one thing is clear: major change is needed. Their mediocre results for the last several years have been some of the most depressing in the league. There doesn’t seem to be a great path towards an eventual contender now, but better leadership can change all that.
Calvin Booth is the perfect candidate to take over the Bulls. He’s shown his skills both in developing young talent and building a contender. With his help, the Bulls could turn their franchise around and one day compete for a title. It would certainly be worth a shot compared to finishing with the 10th seed every season.