The Bulls are working to finalize an extension with head coach Billy Donovan, reports Marc Stein for The Stein Line (via Twitter). Donovan’s current contract reportedly has one year remaining.
The news comes on the heels of the Bulls declining the Knicks’ request to interview Donovan in their head coaching search. Ian Begley of SNY.tv reported that one of the currently employed head coaches pursued by the Knicks was able to “benefit financially” from New York’s interest. While it’s not 100% clear Donovan was the coach in question, it appears he’s about to earn some additional guaranteed money from the Bulls.
Donovan has been Chicago’s head coach for the past five seasons, during which time he has amassed a record of 195-205 (.488). The team went to the 2022 playoffs under Donovan, losing in five games to the Bucks.
After trading Alex Caruso and Zach LaVine last year, the Bulls are attempting to retool on the fly, building around a younger core while trying to stay competitive. Donovan appears to be the coach the Bulls are counting on to help forge the identity of the new-look roster as they look to keep adding to a group that features Matas Buzelis, Coby White, and likely Josh Giddey, whose restricted free agency represents the biggest contract decision the team has to make this summer.
Chicago will also have to decide how Nikola Vucevic fits into its long-term plans. The veteran center has one year left on his deal and is coming off an excellent offensive season, which could make him a trade candidate.
This Bulls org just loves to reward mediocrity
That’s Jerry Reinsdorf in a nutshell. Buy major league teams for scraps and then benefit from being in the third largest metro in the USA
The Bulls have uncompromising standards.
Rebuilding since MJ.
They had a few good years with Rose, Deng, Boozer, and Noah. But yeah.
As a Red Sox fan, I couldn’t believe the blockbuster news on the MLB Trade Rumors site. Needed to clear my head and check this site, and all is right in the world again. This headline tracks.
I hear you, but I love the big trade. I hope Duran is next lol
No teams are dumber than the bulls…
Had they won the coin flip against Dallas
i hate that im a bulls fan
The Bulls owner doesn’t care, so the well-paid GM on a long-term deal re-hires the one coach who won’t complain about terrible personnel decisions.
Billy Donovan is rewarded with a 4 year deal, and the clock resets on his performance. It’s a young group, so it’s positioned as a fresh start. But these young players are miles behind the young players at Indiana, Detroit, Cleveland, Orlando, Toronto and the established players in Boston and New York.
Mediocre coaching. Mediocre personnel. Entrenched.
Da BULLS, da gall.
Steph Curry destroyed this mans career lmao
Bulls situation isn’t terrible there’s White Giddey Buzelis put they need a trade or two to not just be mediocre.
Vuce, Pat Will, Hueter, Collins, Lonzo, Smith even Ayo should all be on the block if not gone
I think they draft Queen at 12 and have him sit behind Vuce for a year until his deal is expired.
Lonzo and PatWill for MPJ…
MPJ would give them a shooter for spacing, he’s a great rebounder and could grow with this young side. Whereas Denver might look to save some money, PatWill as a replacement is better defensively, still a good shooter and is a lot cheaper plus you get Lonzo as a back up point guard (Russ replacement).
Or if that’s asking too much, Lonzo and Pat Will for Jerami Grant. Lonzo would be a good back up for Scoot and Pat Will gives them a nice 3 and D combo forward much like Grant.
Giddey and White backcourt, add a good SF to play beside Buzelis with Vuce and Queen at the 5. Guys like Ayo Hueter Collins making up the bench that’s not awful especially in a weak east.
However I don’t think Donovan is the guy to take them forward
Buzelis was such a smart good pick by them.
They need a center. And tough gritty physical wings, sometimes those can be found in the second round. Trading or trying to get those in free agency is hard because they get paid and are valued highly.
White + Giddey + Buzelis are ok an improvement but, with apologies to Bulls fans, it’s an under-average young core. Of the 14 other teams in the East, at least 9 of them have a better group of younger players (nobody older than 25) than the Bulls.
ORL: Banchero Suggs Wagner
CLE: Garland Mobley Allen
DET: Cunningham Duren Ivey Thompson
IND: Halliburton Nesmith Nembhard Mathurin etc etc
TOR: Barnes Quickley Barrett
PHI: Maxey McCain Grimes
MIA: Hero Jacquez Ware
ATL: Johnson Daniels Okongwu Risacher
CHA: Ball Miller Williams
Well, at this point Chicago fans will take any improvement, lol.
Also, I’d argue that Buzelis and Giddey specifically are quite good, I wouldn’t say they are necessarily worse than what Miami have, and possibly close to some others on your list. White is hard to be overly excited about, I agree with that.
There have been rumors about Kuminga to Chicago. I would really love to see that happen. Buzelis, Giddey and Kuminga, now that starts to sound much better. Get that, a good center, who doesn’t have to be a world-beater, just competent, and as many tough physical defenders as you can find.
But the team also needs a coach, and this renewal does not look promising for Chicago, lol.
Peter_Cantrope – I agree that White, Buzelis and Giddey are “quite good”, at least offensively (White and Giddey will always be defensive liabilities). I just don’t see any of them as a #1 or #2 on a contending team (i.e., a Top 30 player. But they can all be solid starters on an average team, assuming the other players are more athletic and better defenders.
I agree with the fit with Kuminga in Chicago. He’d fill a big need.
I like these ideas but I don’t know if those are the moves I’d make. Both veterans make a lot and don’t add much that a young guy with upside could. I don’t see the idea of Portland doing this outside of getting off grants contract as they have wings and Simons at PG with scoot backing him up. The bulls need to clear their logjam at guard after re-signing giddy. I’d think about moving white bc he will be expensive if he balls out again. Flip him for picks with his low salary or a similar guy that’s locked up longer.
College rules in effect. If a HC is the subject of an inquiry from another team, then (kneejerk) he gets an extension from his existing team.
Nooooo!!!
Glad they’re going all in on being a team that can develop young talent, that they can then trade to teams who are actually competitive. Like NBA junior
Treadmill organization.
It doesn’t matter who the coach is. No team is ever winning with that ownership and front office.
They are content with just going 39-43 and barely making the play in every season.
As long as they are selling out home games, Jerry Reinsdorf is a happy man and sees no need for a change.
…..Bruhhhhh
Why ?????
This guy should have been gone long ago ……
It’s like giving a raise to the guy who helped design the Titanic.
I want to cry. There is absolutely no reason for this guy to continue his coaching career here in Chicago. Nobody has gotten better under him, he still doesn’t trust his young guys in the 4th quarter. He keeps thinking he’s the smartest guy in the room.
Sad part is, he’ll probably retire after the nice extension Jerry gives him.
Coaches with losing seasons get extended, coaches who helped teams improve get fired. The NBA is such a weird place!
So true lol ….. that’s literally happening. funny