Drew Stevens, a writer for The Bigs and On Tap Sports Network, took some time to discuss the Bulls’ offseason & Jimmy Butler’s great playoff on “9 Good Minutes” on WGN News Now.

CHICAGO — It’s safe to say that the honeymoon for the Bulls front office that was constructed in 2020 is now over.

Executive VP Arturas Karnisovas and general manager Marc Eversley have got plenty of pressure on them during this offseason after the core they built in 2021 has stalled.

Initially, the combo of DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine, Nikola Vucevic, and Lonzo Ball brought wins and created enthusiasm in the fan base that had been frustrated with mediocrity for years. While the team faded late in 2021-2022, they did win 45 games and make the playoffs, providing at least some optimism for the future.

That disappeared during a 2022-2023 campaign where few offseason changes were made, inconsistency reigned, and the Bulls were only able to get a play-in spot in the Eastern Conference postseason. Ball has undergone three knee surgeries in under a year-and-a-half, and his status for next year is up in the air.

Meanwhile, this is all happening as Jimmy Butler, a one-time Bulls player who eliminated his old team in the play-in tournament, has been one of the stories of the NBA Playoffs.

It will be up to Karnisovas and Eversley to make the right moves to restart this core or perhaps break it up a bit to get the Bulls closer to an NBA title drought that is now 25 years long.

Drew Stevens of The Bigs and On Tap Sports Network discussed the Bulls with Larry Hawley on this edition of “9 Good Minutes” on WGN News Now. Watch their conversation on the Bulls in the video above.