Austin Brown Emerges As Shock Bulls VP Candidate — And There’s Real Genius Behind It
The Chicago Bulls have made it clear they wish to cast a wide net for their next Vice President of Basketball Operations. Team owner Michael Reinsdorf admitted that the process was flawed six years ago when they hired Arturas Karnisovas due to COVID-19 restrictions. They never got the chance to meet the man in person before handing him the job. That isn’t a mistake they wish to make again. This time, they want the process to be thorough, and that includes venturing into potential talent pools the Bulls organization has never explored before. Enter Austin Brown.
Don’t feel bad if you don’t recognize the name. He isn’t an executive with any prominent NBA organization. He is an agent. In fact, he is among the most powerful agents in the industry as a member of Creative Artists Agency (CAA). Among his most prominent clients are Donovan Mitchell, Cooper Flagg, Trae Young, Zion Williamson, and Dwyane Wade. According to Dan Bernstein of 312 Sports Chicago, he’s hearing that Brown is one of the people to keep an eye on for the Bulls’ VP job as the search unfolds.
Austin Brown having interest in the job is no surprise.
He grew up in Evanston, Illinois, just north of Chicago. He graduated from high school there in 2003. That means he was forming his love of basketball at the height of the Michael Jordan years and was a young adult when Derrick Rose arrived on the scene a few years later. It probably isn’t a stretch to say he is a Bulls fan. Getting the chance to rebuild the franchise into a championship contender would be a dream for many like him. He’s only 40 years old and obviously well-connected in the industry.
Let’s also not forget that the Bulls were eyeing Brown for the general manager position six years ago.
“There was an erroneous report published Thursday that said Karnisovas had decided on CAA agent Austin Brown as GM, but that was taken down by late afternoon. Yes, Brown’s name was in the mix and would follow the history of the Reinsdorfs approving outside-the-box hires, but a source said Friday that there was no front-runner yet.”
That spot went to Marc Eversley as we all know, but it was apparent even then that the Reinsdorf had interest in the young agent. Perhaps they wondered if they’d made a mistake along the way by not going with Brown, which might explain the interest this time around. It might seem outside the box to consider an agent for such a prominent position, but history shows that this could be a fruitful path to go down.
| Executive | Former Agency | Current/Former NBA Team | Major Accomplishments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bob Myers | Wasserman Media Group | Golden State Warriors (2012–2023) | 4-time NBA Champion (2015, 2017, 2018, 2022); 2-time NBA Executive of the Year. |
| Rob Pelinka | Landmark Sports Agency | Los Angeles Lakers (Since 2017) | 2020 NBA Champion; recently orchestrated a blockbuster trade for Luka Dončić (Feb 2025). |
| Leon Rose | CAA Sports | New York Knicks (Since 2020) | Snapped an 8-year playoff drought; reached the 2025 Eastern Conference Finals; signed Jalen Brunson. |
Agents have to identify talent, too.
That is often lost on people. To land the best clients, they must discern which players have the best chance to excel in the NBA. Just because they didn’t come up as a scout or a coach doesn’t mean they’re any less qualified to know what good players are supposed to look like. Everybody wants Bob Myers for the Bulls job, understandably so. He was an agent before everything he accomplished in Golden State. If they can’t get him, then making a run at Austin Brown certainly makes sense.
He’s young, personable, knows how to communicate both with players and agents, and has a vested interest in making Chicago successful again. The obvious unknown is his lack of scouting background and his zero front-office experience. There is no doubt that makes it a risk. Then again, the Bulls tried going down that path with Karnisovas, and it led to years of mediocrity and misery. Gar Forman was a career scout. Maybe it’s time to try something new. Brown at least deserves a look.