Bulls Promote Forman to GM

By Benjy Lipsman in News on May 22, 2009 4:40PM

Rumors swirled, in the weeks leading up to the NBA trading deadline, that John Paxson was on his way out the door as Bulls GM. Instead, he remained in the Bulls front off and managed to pull off three trades that turned the Bulls' season around and propelled them into the playoffs.

With the season now over, the Bulls have made some changes within their front office. Rather than forcing anybody out, the team has simply promoted from within. Paxson remains with the team as VP of Basketball Operations, but Gar Forman has been promoted to General Manager.

Said Bulls Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf in the official press release, "The promotion ... publicly formalizes a successful formula that has been evolving for some time. Gar has been assuming more and more of the daily GM duties, freeing John to spend more of his time and energies on talent evaluation and on long-term, strategic planning for the organization."

At the top of Forman's "To Do" list is to address the Ben Gordon situation. The shooting guard, who has rejected two long-term contract offers in past off-seasons, is now an unrestricted free agent and free to sign with any team. Forman addressed the Gordon situation during his press conference on Thursday, stating that the team wants BG to remain in Chicago and that Gordon has indicated a preference for staying in town as well. Whether that happens or not, and what other moves will be made to accommodate Gordon long-term, should make for an interesting summer.