Amid rumors about Billy Donovan‘s future with the Bulls, second-year forward Matas Buzelis made it clear he hopes Donovan remains in his role as head coach next season, according to Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times.
“He’s been everything, man,” Buzelis said. “He’s been a role model to me; he’s someone I look up to as a person, as a human being. He’s a guy that’s been a cornerstone for me. He’s pushed me to my limits, and he’s going to keep pushing me until I can’t be pushed anymore.
“I can’t thank somebody like that enough. He tells you the truth every time. It’s hard to do that, especially in this league, to have someone in your corner that is going to tell you everything you need to hear.”
Here’s more from around the Central Division:
- Bulls guard Josh Giddey hopes the team is able to “keep playing the right way” to close out the season, Cowley writes in another story. Giddey acknowledged Chicago’s roster situation is a little unusual with so many impending free agents. “I’m not going to speak for other guys because I know how it is to be in a contract year, and individually you are always worried about yourself,” said Giddey, who signed a four-year, $100MM contract as a restricted free agent last year. “Everybody wants to play well, that’s no secret, contract-wise or not, especially coming into free agency. You want to perform, you want your visibility to be as high as possible, so I get it from that point of view. But it’s important to make everything about the team. It’s easy for guys to waver and think about themselves. I was guilty of it, as well. I just think it’s important to let that stuff get handled in the offseason. Don’t drag it into the team. In stints I thought we played selfish ball [Wednesday] and started to get in one-on-one stuff, iso stuff, and it’s just not the way we play. It’s not sustainable and not how we have to win games.”
- Veteran center Jarrett Allen provided a major boost to the Cavaliers in Friday’s lopsided victory over Miami, writes Tom Withers of The Associated Press. Allen, who had missed the previous 10 games due to right knee tendonitis, had eight points in the first four minutes, finishing with 18 points and 10 rebounds in 18 minutes. Head coach Kenny Atkinson said the former All-Star big man would be on a restriction of about 20 minutes prior to the game, Withers notes. “It was great,” Allen said of his quick start. “Shout-out to Kenny, he drew up the first play for me. I usually don’t get the first play sometimes, but he wanted to get me going, wanted to get me back in the groove of things and from there, things just started rolling for me.” Max Strus, who was making his sixth appearance of 2025/26 following offseason foot surgery, led the Cavs with a season-high 29 points (on 10-of-14 shooting) in 23 minutes, Withers adds.
- Reserve big man Isaiah Stewart has been cleared to resume on-court activities, the Pistons announced in a press release. The 25-year-old center/forward is recovering from a left calf strain, having last suited up on March 13.
A super raw Buzelis, #11 overall pick, develops NBA level scoring and shot blocking skills over the course of two seasons.
Bulls Fans: Fire Donovan.
An aging offensively questionable Alex Caruso traded for up and coming triple double threat Josh Giddey, who is then extended while Caruso is hurt or playing 18 minutes a night off the bench.
Bulls Fans: Fire AK
Tell me you’re taking about Colin Sexton without telling me your talking about Colin Sexton.
Josh Giddey calling out the selfish play he’s observed down the stretch, pointing to free agents going iso in situations where the ball movement had been breaking down. It’s a fair leadership moment from Giddey, and he’s earned the right to say it. But if those comments are directed at Collin Sexton — the only impending free agent who’s been healthy and playing meaningful minutes — the numbers simply don’t support the narrative.
Look at what Sexton has done offensively over his last three games: 51.4% from the field, a scorching 52.9% from three, and 21.3 points per game. Those aren’t the numbers of a guy hunting bad shots to pad a highlight reel for free agency. That’s elite efficiency. You can’t shoot 53% from three and be dragging your team down.
And then there’s the Houston game — a massive upset that nobody saw coming. Sexton led the team with 25 points on 6-of-14 shooting, 4-of-7 from deep, and 9-of-10 from the free throw line. That’s not iso ball gone wrong. That’s a player willing to take over in a game his team had no business winning, and delivering.
Giddey said himself he wasn’t going to call anyone out by name, and to his credit he acknowledged he’s been guilty of the same thing. But if we’re being honest about who the comments were likely aimed at, Sexton’s recent body of work makes him a tough target to pin this on — at least from an offensive efficiency standpoint. The off-ball guard role Sexton plays is also a natural fit for creating his own shot; that’s literally what the position demands.
Giddey’s concerns about team cohesion may be real and valid. But the data on Sexton right now tells a different story than “player showcasing for a contract at the team’s expense.”