Austin Brown, the co-head of CAA’s basketball division, was repeatedly cited as a possible target for the Bulls after they dismissed front office executives Arturas Karnisovas and Marc Eversley earlier this month, with Shams Charania of ESPN confirming on Monday that Chicago hoped to meet with Brown about the team’s vacancy at the top of its basketball operations department.
However, according to Charania (Twitter link), the Bulls have been informed that Brown won’t be pursuing the job.
Brown has one of the most impressive client rosters of any NBA agent, with RealGM listing Donovan Mitchell, Cooper Flagg, Jaren Jackson Jr., Trae Young, Myles Turner, Andrew Wiggins, OG Anunoby, Nic Claxton, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker among the players he represents.
It’s not unprecedented for an agent to transition to a front office role. Former Warriors general manager Bob Myers and current top executives Rob Pelinka (Lakers) and Leon Rose (Knicks) are a few of the most notable executives who have made that transition. It’s unclear whether Brown isn’t looking to take that route at this time or if he’s just not interested in the Bulls’ job specifically.
Either way, the Bulls have no shortage of alternatives as they search for a new lead basketball executive. Timberwolves general manager Matt Lloyd has been identified as a frontrunner, but the team has also been linked to Dennis Lindsey, Bryson Graham, Mike Gansey, and Dave Telep, among others.
According to Charania, Bulls officials began their first round of meetings with potential candidates on Monday.
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I wasn’t all that crazy about hiring a guy who had never done the job before or let’s say had no experience at all. That may have worked but I think the potential was there for another disaster and this isn’t a time for experimenting. They need a better candidate IMO.