The Chicago Bulls fired general manager Gar Forman on Monday after 10 years in the role and 22 years with the team.
The move came soon after the Bulls confirmed the hiring of Denver Nuggets general manager Arturas Karnisovas as the franchise’s executive vice president of basketball operations, which ESPN reported last week.
“Gar Forman worked tirelessly for the Chicago Bulls organization, first as a scout and then as an executive,” team owner Jerry Reinsdorf said in a statement. “He made many significant contributions during his time here and helped to bring some of the brightest young basketball talent to our team, from Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah and Taj Gibson to Jimmy Butler and Coby White. He has been a trusted advisor and friend to me over the years, and on behalf of everyone I want to thank him for his commitment to the organization. Gar will always be a part of our Bulls family.”
Forman was named the 2011 NBA Executive of the Year. The Bulls reached the playoffs seven times during his tenure as general manager.
“It has been an honor and a privilege to work for the Chicago Bulls for more than two decades,” Forman said in the Bulls’ statement. “There is no better ownership group in professional sports than the Reinsdorfs, and I want to thank Jerry and Michael for their support during my tenure. The Bulls organization will always hold a special place in my heart.”
Karnisovas is planning to start discussing Chicago’s GM job with candidates soon, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported last week. The pool is expected to include several assistant GMs: Calvin Booth (Denver), Marc Eversley (Philadelphia), Mark Hughes (LA Clippers) and Matt Lloyd (Orlando), among others.