There appears to be strong growing momentum for Bulls head coach Jim Boylen to retain his current position, according to Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times, who reports that financial considerations are expected to play a key role in the decision.
Nearly three months ago, Cowley reported that new Bulls executives Arturas Karnisovas and Marc Eversley were believed to be leaning toward making a head coaching change after receiving a “mixed bag” of feedback on Boylen from Bulls players. Cowley writes today that the team’s top basketball operations execs had even reached out through back-channels to potential candidates such as Sixers assistant Ime Udoka and Raptors assistant Adrian Griffin.
However, the Bulls’ financial landscape has changed over the last few months. Team owner Jerry Reinsdorf, who doesn’t have a reputation for aggressive spending, has claimed that financial losses for the Bulls and his Chicago White Sox are “in the nine figures.” There’s also ongoing uncertainty about what the 2020/21 NBA season will look like and how the coronavirus pandemic may continue to impact team and league revenues.
Although he cautions that the situation is fluid, Cowley suggests that the Bulls’ financial situation has greatly increased the chances of Boylen’s return. It doesn’t help matters that there are still no plans in place to have the NBA’s bottom eight teams conduct some form of organized offseason activites. Karnisovas has previously spoken about wanting to evaluate Boylen in such a setting, but he may not get an opportunity to do so.
ESPN reported last month that the financial strain caused by the pandemic may make teams around the league less inclined to change coaches this offseason, so the latest update on Boylen doesn’t come as a huge surprise.
Still, as Cowley rightly points out (via Twitter), it’s not as if replacing Boylen with a first-time coach like Udoka or Griffin would be exorbitantly costly for the franchise, at least in relative terms. Boylen is making just $1.6MM and a first-time coach could potentially be hired for a salary in the $2.5MM range. The league’s highest-paid coaches – Doc Rivers and Gregg Popovich – are reportedly earning $10MM+ per year.
Bulls don’t seem to have direction. I guess that starts from top. Believe me we know that in NY. They have talent there. Biggest need is a true PG. A young CP3 type player. Run team and get them gd shots. A passing PG is always a need for team. Not a Boylen fan either.
Well they literally just hired a brand new front office so of course it is hard to see if the have “direction” when they haven’t had a chance to even do their job.
I meant before the hires. And now it’s the coach cause of new management right. So kind of still going on. Look I like their young talent. But something is definitely not in tune. Even the players have been talking. Markkannen has voiced concerns. LaVine also. From the rumors I thought they were going new coach. But now that’s changed. Living in NY I don’t believe everything I read. Specially about Basketball. Basketball wise Bulls should be progressing. I just see kind of regressing. You know what I mean.
You’ve got to be kidding. Boylen has clearly lost the lockerroom and nothing indicates he has the power to transform this squad. Is Reinsdorf seriously so cheap he’s unwilling to find a viable replacement? As the article mentions, it’s not as though a first-timer like Griffin or Udoka would command a lucrative payday
As a Bulls fan, it’s beyond frustrating. How many more years is this franchise going to just spin their wheels?!
Small town coaches Salary
Scott Brooks 7 million per year
Donovan 6 million a year
Walton 5 million a year
Bulls need to restart rebuild
Boylen is awful but next year the NBA will probably be garbage again (the play looks 2012 lockout level sloppy in Orlando and coronavirus is not going away folks so this is probably going to be at Disney again next season), the Bulls don’t have much hopes next year whether they run it back or firesale, and Coby White is the only player that will probably be on the team in 3 years. Letting Boylen coach another is destructive, sure. But is letting him coach a part of a season next year (he would surely be fired if they run everyone back next season) going to have an effect on their competitive level next year or in the future? Hardly. Unless there is a coach out there they really want, there really is not a reason they have to hire this offseason.
Sorry for the typos. I mean that letting him coach another few games is destructive and that Boylen would surely be fired if they do poorly if they run everyone back next season.
The illusion of change. It’s still Reinsdorf at the top so they will continue to be a losing organization.
I wonder if there’s any weird sort of pressure that comes with “one of the biggest reasons you still have your job is that a lot of people you don’t know got sick…”