Denver Nuggets general manager Arturas Karnisovas has made a strong impression on the Chicago Bulls and emerged as a focus of the franchise's process to hire a new executive vice president of basketball operations, sources told ESPN.

Conversations with Karnisovas and Bulls officials are continuing Wednesday, sources said.

Bulls president Michael Reinsdorf completed an initial round of virtual meetings on Wednesday after an interview with former Atlanta Hawks GM Wes Wilcox, sources said.

Karnisovas' diverse background in the game had captured the Bulls' attention from the start of this process, including his role in building the Nuggets into a contender with team president Tim Connelly and governor Josh Kroenke; stops with the Houston Rockets front office and league office; and a decorated EuroLeague and Olympic medal-winning playing career.

Karnisovas, a native of Lithuania, left home as a teenager to play college basketball at Seton Hall from 1990 to 1994.

If Karnisovas is hired, he's expected to be able to reshape the Bulls' front office, including hiring a new general manager, sources said.

Bulls president John Paxson is expected to move into an advisory role and there will be discussions with GM Gar Forman about his future with the organization, sources said.