For years, the Bulls have talked like an organization trying to convince itself it was closer than it really was. This sounded different. Chicago Bulls Chairman Michael Reinsdorf and new Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Bryson Graham arrive at the Center. (@ByDrewStevens) Bryson Graham walked into the Advocate Center on Wednesday carrying the weight of one of the NBA’s most recognizable franchises. And the new executive vice president of basketball operations looked happy to...

Donovan stepping away clarified the structure. What it didn’t clarify is whether the Bulls are ready to embrace the kind of direction that structure is supposed to support.

As the Bulls begin searching for a new direction, there are signs of the same instinct that shaped the last one: the desire to move forward without fully letting go.