With the NBA Draft Combine less than a month away — and the NBA Draft at the end of June — the Chicago Bulls have kicked their search for a new head of basketball operations and a new general manager into high gear.

That comes with a new list of candidate names, reports Shams Charania of ESPN.

The Chicago Bulls have started the search process for their new head of basketball operations, receiving permission to interview Timberwolves GM Matt Lloyd, Pistons senior vice president Dennis Lindsey, Hawks senior vice president Bryson Graham, Cavaliers GM Mike Gansey and Spurs assistant GM Dave Telep, sources told ESPN on Monday.

The Bulls are also expected to speak with the co-head of CAA's basketball division, Austin Brown, regarding the vacancy, sources told ESPN.

The timeline for the hire, whoever it is, likely comes after the NBA Draft Combine, which is in Chicago from May 10-17.

Whoever is hired to head basketball operations will not get to pick the coach, as ownership has said Billy Donovan will keep his job and that the new front office will have to work with him.

That new front office will have to walk a fine line. The Bulls have been stuck in the middle in the NBA for years — never bad enough to get a really high draft pick, but making the playoffs just once in the last nine years. The one year they did bottom out, 22 wins in the COVID-shortened 2019-20 season, they drafted No. 4 and took Patrick Williams (over Tyrese Haliburton, Deni Avdija, Devin Vassell and others). This year, when executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas and general manager Marc Eversley turned to tanking again, they were fired. Bulls ownership wants to win and doesn't want to bottom out and get that talent through the draft, which is a challenge.

The Bulls have some interesting players, such as Josh Giddey and Matas Buzelis. The new front office will have up to $65 million in cap space and a lottery pick at its disposal to reshape the roster. But it will not be an easy job.