Chicago Bulls execs Artūras Karnišovas and Marc Eversley continue their aggressive roster overhaul in Year 2 — and are landing their top targets

After the first two days of NBA free agency, one thing is clear about these Chicago Bulls: they aren’t operating like the old Chicago Bulls.

What the Bulls have pulled off in the opening 48 hours of free agency is unlike any other team in franchise history before it.

With moves like this, the Bulls are operating like a big-market franchise to improve their roster and get back to the postseason for the first time in four seasons. They attracted two of the top free agents on the market after acquiring another All-Star at the trade deadline in Nikola Vučević to infuse the team with talent next to Zach LaVine.

The Bulls’ splashy summer has been a stark contrast from the agonizing final years of the GarPax era, where the team descended into mediocrity as fans continued to grow disgruntled. The rebuilding strategy of John Paxson and Gar Forman the past few seasons largely amounted to waiting for the right bounce on draft lottery night, hoping to draft a transcendent star.

When that pays off, it can work wonders. Other times, teams end up with a collection of picks from the middle of the draft and a rudderless direction.

But since taking control of the front office before the start of last season, vice president Artūras Karnišovas and general manager Marc Eversley have acted aggressively to turn over this roster — and land their top targets.

The Bulls have been pursuing Ball since at least the trade deadline. Eversley, who was an assistant general manager with the Toronto Raptors, was reportedly key in their pursuit of DeRozan. When’s the last time the Bulls had a need and addressed it with a top free agent entering his prime like Ball? DeRozan has his flaws, but he was the best wing available (assuming Kawhi Leonard returns to the Clippers) and should immediately improve the Bulls.

Some of the Bulls’ biggest free-agent signings in recent memory before this summer: a fallback plan in Carlos Boozer, an aging Dwyane Wade and an awkward fitting Rajon Rondo.

Only two players — LaVine and Coby White — remain from the roster Karnišovas and Eversley inherited from the 2019-20 season, although Lauri Markkanen remains unsigned as a restricted free agent. The Bulls still have young players (LaVine, Ball, Patrick Williams and perhaps White or Ayo Dosunmu) to build a core around, with veterans like Vučević and DeRozan to complement LaVine right away.

It’s been surprising to see how willing the Bulls have been to sacrifice draft capital to improve the team, but perennial playoff teams don’t worry as much about picks if they are near the end of the first round.

While the major moves will get the attention, the Bulls have also done well on the margins so far.

Alex Caruso’s defensive prowess makes him a good fit to plug into the backcourt and adding him rounds out a solid guard rotation.

The Bulls are going to lose Daniel Theis to the Houston Rockets, but if they are able to complete a sign-and-trade as ESPN reported, they could get a $8.3 million trade exception in return. That allows them to absorb that extra salary in trades going forward.

They could also turn around and spin a three-team trade with the Los Angeles Lakers and send that trade exception to the Lakers for Caruso, allowing the Bulls to keep their mid-level exception intact and give them room to add another free agent worth up to $9.5 million.

So even after their major splashes this week, the Bulls are still in position to continue tweaking this roster, especially with Markkanen’s future unresolved.

Of course, this newfound aggressiveness might not work out for the Bulls.

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The roster has been transformed, but the ceiling is still unclear. They won’t enter the season as favorites in a playoff series against the defending champion Milwaukee Bucks or a healthy Brooklyn Nets team. They might not even be a favorite to host a home playoff series in the first round (the Atlanta Hawks, Miami Heat and Philadelphia 76ers, pending a potential trade for Ben Simmons, will all still be in the mix).

DeRozan’s contract, which takes him through age 34, may not age well and the Bulls burned through their remaining draft capital through 2026 to get him.

Still, this offseason has been a huge step forward in the Bulls’ path back to relevance.

They look like a free-agent destination, getting LaVine some help to set him up nicely to show what he can do in the postseason for the first time in his career. LaVine has reiterated often how much he values winning, and having the chance to do so with the Bulls should only increase their odds of signing him to a long-term contract.

And they have a front office that is willing to get creative to address its needs, which should bode well when the Bulls need to improve this roster down the line.

The makeover this offseason has expedited a meandering rebuild and put the Bulls in position to be, at least, one of the more intriguing teams next season. After watching the product on the floor the past four years, that should at least give fans something refreshing to tune into.