Bulls deny rumors of disharmony: 'We're all on the same page'

The Chicago Bulls desperately want to project an image of stability.

Having retained Jimmy Butler but liquidated Bulls icon Taj Gibson for a prospect at the trade deadline, Bulls general manager Gar Forman and executive vice president John Paxson made a rare appearance before the media.

The Bulls' much-maligned brain trust tried to calm the waters to reassure fans that the front office was aligned in their plans.

"We're all on the same page. We've met, we've put the plan in place. Obviously any plan, it's going to be fluid, and there's going to be different things that arise where you'll have to make decisions, but without a question we are all on the same page," Forman said, according to ESPN's Nick Friedell.

Paxson projected a similar message of unity in the face of conflicting rumors.

"To make the leap from debate to division and saying that like, Gar and I aren't working together well or whatever, it's wrong. It's a false narrative. For me personally, you guys know this, I care a lot about this organization and want what's best for it," Paxson said.

"I like the way we work. And the decisions we make, we make as a group, we make always in the best interests of the organization, and when we walk out of the room, we're aligned as an organization. It's as simple as that. And so whoever wants to make the leap from debate to division, go ahead. But it's not true."

Chicago faces a difficult choice in the coming months. This year's revamped roster tops out as a .500 club and the Bulls may look to embark upon a rebuild by moving Butler. Whichever direction they move toward, they need full alignment throughout the organization to execute their plans.

But as Friedell reports, Chicago's front office and ownership do not agree on a potential rebuild. Thus management will continue to face the same questions about organizational alignment despite public pleas to the contrary.