Paxson “Did Not Participate” in First New Front Office Interview and Other Bulls Bullets

We have 70+ degree temperatures in the Chicagoland area today, so if you need me, I’ll be laying in the backyard in sweatpants instead of on my couch. (Michael: Sweatpants?! In this heat?!).

• Since everyone continues to freak out about John Paxson likely holding a place somewhere in the Chicago Bulls organization after the front office dust settles, here’s something to ease your mind: “The source close to the situation said Bulls vice president of basketball operations John Paxson did not participate in the Justin Zanik interview and has moved to the background by choice,” wrote Joe Cowley of the Sun-Times.
• The plan was seemingly already in place for Paxson to take a backseat once the new guy arrived, but it could be happening even sooner than that. Indeed, we haven’t yet heard any involvement he’s had in the hiring process or new front office reconstruction, and he’s not even participating in the interviews. If he were going to be in some sort of oversight-y role, he likely would have been involved.
• NBC Sports Chicago’s K.C. Johnson has also made this point clear in just about all of his reports so far, reiterating it during the latest Bulls Talk Podcast.

https://twitter.com/NBCSBulls/status/1247527577515782145?s=20

• Now, I still completely understand why some are taking issue. Fans don’t want Paxson to be anywhere near the new regime, but more importantly, they don’t even want him on the payroll. I doubt Paxson could help park cars at the United Center, without rubbing a segment of the fanbase the wrong way. Unfortunately, that’s something we’ll just have to get over. Paxson is (likely) sticking around, even if we’ll no longer have to deal with him directly. According to all reports, he isn’t going to be making decisions and will not be touching basketball operations in any direct way. That’s good enough. Or, well, it’ll have to be.
• Meanwhile, it appears the Bulls plan to hire Paxson’s replacement ASAP. Johnson also said during the Bulls Talk Podcast that he would be surprised if the new hire was made sometime this or next week.

Obsessive Front Office Watch: New Head of Bulls Basketball Ops Could Be Hired As Soon As This Weekhttps://t.co/9HWBig5dBr

— Bleacher Nation Bulls (@BN_Bulls) April 7, 2020

• The updates on the Bulls front office situation continue to pile up, so I’m just going to link a bunch of our most recent stuff here for you to check out (if you want, of course … this isn’t a demand):

  • Obsessive Bulls Front Office Watch: One Interview Done, Paxson Takes a Backseat, Official Title Revealed? Two New Candidates, More

  • Bulls Granted Permission to Interview Jazz and Nuggets General Managers

  • Obsessive Front Office Watch: Teams Blocking Bulls from Interviewing Some Top Candidates?
• Zach LaVine is stepping to help the Chicago community!

With generous donations from Zach LaVine and key partners, donations will be delivered to over 2000 healthcare workers of @AdvocateHealth & @RushMedical on the frontlines of the pandemic this week.#NBATogether | #ActsOfCaring

— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) April 7, 2020

• A little while ago LaVine donated 12,500 meals to his hometown Seattle community, and later said he was working on ways to help out in the city of Chicago. Well, he found a great way to do just that! The Bulls may upset us – like, all the time – but the organization has done a nice job trying to help the community during this troubling time. Bigger than sports.
• Okay, back to the Bulls filling us with rage. Remember when this was the roster?

Just take a moment to remember who played for the Bulls last season. (cc: @NBCSBeerMoney) pic.twitter.com/zuAOzOSBYh

— Bulls Talk (@NBCSBulls) April 7, 2020

• Big news yesterday on what the NBA Draft process is going to look like. With social distancing practices still of the utmost importance, organizations will have to hold virtual meetings with 2020 prospects. I think we all expected something like this to happen, but now it’s official. Also, I’ve written about how complicated this whole process is about to be before, so if you’re interested, I’ll link that here.

Until further notice, NBA teams will receive up to four hours per prospect in virtual meeting during predraft, sources said. Teams are prohibited from conducting more than two hours of virtual meetings with a player in a week. https://t.co/bkg56jm6C0

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 6, 2020

• Zach LaVine did it better.

https://twitter.com/espn/status/1247312823027470346?s=20

• If you’ve waited all your life to ask Archie a question, you now have that opportunity.

Have questions for Ryan Arcidiacono of the @chicagobulls?

Learn more about @RyArch15 during our Twitter Q&A today at 4pm/et and submit your questions using #NBATogether

— NBA (@NBA) April 7, 2020