Bulls Rumors: Donovan, Front Office, Ownership, Ivey, More
The Bulls fired executive VP of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas and general manager Marc Eversley on Monday, but Marc Stein reported on Sunday that the team hopes to retain head coach Billy Donovan and Shams Charania of ESPN has heard the same (Twitter video link).
“My understanding is the Bulls want to keep [Donovan] as long as he wants to be there, in Chicago,” Charania said on NBA Today.
Donovan, who signed a multiyear extension with the Bulls last summer, is expected to draw interest from rival NBA teams with head coaching vacancies this offseason, according to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Twitter link), who confirms Chicago would like to keep the 60-year-old.
As for potential front office replacements, Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic suggests Timberwolves GM Matt Lloyd could be a name to watch (Twitter link). Lloyd is well regarded around the league and began his NBA career in Chicago, Krawczynski notes.
Here are some more rumors and notes on the Bulls:
- Team sources tell Jamal Collier of ESPN that ownership had been considering a front office overhaul “for weeks,” and the urgency to do so increased after the team traded for — and then waived — Jaden Ivey. While the front office defended the homework it did prior to acquiring Ivey, ownership had questions about the process involved and Karnisovas and Eversley had a “credibility problem” around the league and with the team’s fans, according to Collier.
- Collier hears there was a “growing disconnect” between the front office and several areas of the organization, not just ownership. Bulls employees were reportedly unsure of the team’s direction after it traded away several veterans ahead of the February deadline to add seven second-round picks. “People didn’t know the plan,” one team source told ESPN on Monday. “They didn’t know the process. We needed to move on — with a clean slate and start this thing over.”
- According to Collier’s sources, Karnisovas and Eversley long maintained they were “working under the constraints of ownership,” which was reluctant to embark on a rebuild. Donovan also isn’t a fan of rebuilds, Collier writes, even though the team was stuck in mediocrity for years.
- Collier suggests the front office’s relatively underwhelming trade returns also factored into the decision to let Karnisovas and Eversley go, pointing out that the team waited too long to break up the previous core roster of Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, Nikola Vucevic, Alex Caruso, Coby White and Lonzo Ball. “We took too long to pick a lane,” the team source told ESPN. “The Lonzo thing just really messed them up. We saw that success early on, and didn’t have the foresight to pivot early.” Ball missed two-plus years due to a knee injury which required multiple surgeries.
- While the Bulls want to retain Donovan, Collier hears it may not be as head coach, depending on what Donovan wants to do in the future. As Collier writes, Donovan’s father and mother-in-law both passed away within eight days of each other in February, and there has been previous speculation that the veteran coach might take a year off to reevaluate his options moving forward.
Southeast Notes: Black, Heat, KD, George, Swirsky
The Magic will get a key rotation player back on Monday against Detroit, as Anthony Black has been upgraded to available, the team announced (via Twitter).
As Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel tweets, Black was initially listed as questionable, then was upgraded to probable and available. The third-year guard, who was having a breakout season prior to suffering a left lateral abdominal strain on March 7, has missed Orlando’s last 16 games due to the injury.
Black, 22, will be eligible for a rookie scale extension this summer. He was the sixth overall pick in the 2023 draft.
Here’s more from the Southeast:
- The Heat should consider adding a “disruptor” to their front office to challenge the current regime’s ways of thinking, contends Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel. Miami is likely headed to the play-in tournament for the fourth straight season, and while the team has had many developmental success stories over the years, the Heat are still the lacking top-end talent necessary to break out of their current cycle of mediocrity, Winderman explains. A drastic overhaul would be an overreaction and unlikely anyway given the lengthy tenures of the majority of the front office, but it’s clear the current roster isn’t good enough, Winderman adds.
- Rockets star Kevin Durant made a “lasting mark” on Kyshawn George in what turned out to be the Wizards wing’s final game of 2025/26, writes Nick Friedell of The Athletic. George, who suffered a partial UCL tear in his left elbow in the third quarter of the game, grew up watching Durant. “I’m working on particular parts of my game that he’s pretty much mastered over his career,” George told The Athletic. “There’s no better way than to learn from the best. So I just went and asked him a couple questions and he was cool enough to answer.” Durant, 37, said he’s happy to pass on his knowledge to the next generation of players. “If somebody has a question, needs some advice, and seeks it out, then I’m gonna give it to him as honest as I can,” Durant said. “I want players to reach their full potential. And I want them to get everything on and off the court cause there’s a lot that comes with this lifestyle if you do it right.”
- Capital City Go-Go assistant coach T.C. Swirsky has agreed to join the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury as an assistant under Nate Tibbetts, reports Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (via Twitter). Before joining the Wizards‘ G League affiliate, Swirsky was previously the head coach of the Memphis Hustle, Scotto notes.
Southwest Notes: Wemby, Champagnie, Pels, Rockets, Davison
Spurs center Victor Wembanyama missed last Thursday’s win at the Clippers with a right ankle injury that has been bothering him for multiple weeks, writes Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News.
“That ankle is still angry at him,” head coach Mitch Johnson said.
Despite the discomfort, the two-time All-Star big man has been putting up spectacular statistics lately, McDonald notes, and Johnson suggested Wembanyama was held out Thursday for precautionary reasons — it was the second night of a back-to-back.
Wembanyama, 22, needs to play in two of San Antonio’s final four regular season games to qualify for major postseason awards. He’s only at 62 appearances right now, but the NBA Cup final counts toward the 65-game minimum requirement even though the statistics from that game aren’t officially recorded.
Here’s more from around the Southwest:
- Julian Champagnie set the Spurs‘ single-season record for three-pointers made in Saturday’s overtime loss in Denver, per McDonald. The fourth-year small forward converted six threes during the game, moving him up to 192 on the season, one past Danny Green, who set the previous record in 2014/15. “Obviously I put the work in and I’m confident in my own abilities,” the 24-year-old Champagnie said, “but any record you get to break in this league is a blessing.”
- The Pelicans aren’t trying to lose games because they don’t control their first-round pick, but they haven’t had any success trying to win games lately either, according to Rod Walker of NOLA.com. New Orleans blew a 17-point lead during Friday’s loss at Sacramento, then followed that up with a four-point home loss to Orlando. The Pelicans are riding an eight-game losing streak with three games left on their schedule.
- Rockets head coach Ime Udoka has been rotating between Tari Eason and Reed Sheppard as the fifth starter the past couple weeks. William Guillory of The Athletic examines which player makes sense to stick in the starting unit, suggesting that Eason gives the team a higher floor while Sheppard provides a higher ceiling. “Me and Tari have talked to each other, and neither one of us care who starts,” Sheppard said. “It doesn’t matter to us. We just want to win.” Who finishes the game is ultimately more important than who starts, Guillory observes, but this could also be an important “crossroads” for both Houston and Sheppard, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 draft.
- Fourth-year guard JD Davison has reached the 50-game active limit and won’t be able to suit up for the Rockets‘ final four regular season games unless he’s promoted to a standard contract, tweets Keith Smith of Spotrac. Davison, last season’s G League MVP as a member of the Celtics, is currently on a two-way contract. The Rockets have also reached their under-15 limit, Smith adds, so unless they add a 15th player, their other two-way players can’t be active for the rest of the season either.
Draft Notes: Lendeborg, Mara, Prospects, Hurley, Lewis
Michigan star Yaxel Lendeborg sprained the MCL in his left knee and sprained his left ankle on a dunk attempt in the first half of Saturday’s Final Four victory over Arizona, but he’s determined to play in Monday’s NCAA final, writes Jeff Borzello of ESPN.com.
“I will be on that floor in that game,” Lendeborg said.
A fifth-year senior who is a projected first-round pick, Lendeborg exited the game twice in the first half after suffering the injuries and played a few minutes in the second half. The 6’9″ forward admitted he was far from 100%.
“I was very scared to guard out there,” Lendeborg said. “And once I did a little bit, it didn’t feel well. I didn’t feel much pain on the plant. So I mean … when I play Monday, I’m going to be a corner three-point shooter.”
Michigan trainer Chris Williams said Lendeborg had limited swelling when the injuries occurred, and told ESPN the Big Ten Player of the Year will receive “around-the-clock” treatment ahead of Monday’s championship game.
Here are a few more draft-related notes:
- Although Lendeborg was productive (11 points and three rebounds), he was limited to just 14 minutes due to foul trouble and the injuries. Michigan center Aday Mara stepped up in a major way in the blowout victory over the Wildcats, finishing with 26 points (on 11-of-16 shooting), nine rebounds, three assists and two blocks in 30 minutes, writes Forbes contributor Adam Zagoria. “Aday was sensational,” Michigan coach Dusty May said. “He was at the rim, catching lobs. He was a force down low. He was a pressure release up top. I mean, he’s such a smart basketball player. And obviously his rim protection — he did a great job on (Koa) Peat. He did a great job forcing a lot of those misses around the basket because of his aggression.” Mara, a 7’3″ junior from Spain, is currently No. 32 on ESPN’s best available players list.
- Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports listed 24 potential NBA prospects to watch prior to the Final Four, including Lendeborg, Mara, and Peat, among others. UConn defeated Illinois in the other Final Four matchup and will be looking for its third title in four years.
- Speaking of the Huskies, head coach Dan Hurley told Jeff Goodman of Field of 68 that he’s not interested in UNC’s head coaching vacancy (Twitter video link). However, he left the door open for a possible NBA job in the future. “I’m a UConn coach until the end,” Hurley said. “You know, maybe the NBA some day down the line.” The Lakers tried to hire Hurley a couple years ago, but he wound up returning to Storrs on a lucrative long-term contract.
- Villanova freshman Acaden Lewis is entering the NBA draft while maintaining his college eligibility, he tells Joe Tipton of On3 (Twitter link). The 6’2″ guard, who was a second-team All-Big East selection in 2025/26, is also entering the transfer portal, Tipton adds.
Injury Notes: Quickley, Edwards, Highsmith, Pels, Mavs
Raptors guard Immanuel Quickley was out for the eighth consecutive game on Sunday vs. Boston, but it sounds like he’s getting closer to returning from plantar fasciitis in his right foot. The 26-year-old went through on-court workouts on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and hasn’t experienced any setbacks as he ramps up his activity, per Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca (Twitter link).
Quickley has made 67 appearances (32.4 minutes per game) for Toronto in 2025/26, averaging 16.9 points, 6.0 assists, 4.1 rebounds and 1.3 steals on .445/.374/.821 shooting. The Raptors have missed Quickley’s ability to stretch the floor over the past few weeks — they’ve gone 5-5 without him this season, compared to a 38-29 record when he’s active.
Here are a few more injury updates from around the NBA:
- Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards continues to deal with patellofemoral pain syndrome in his right knee and was ruled out of Sunday’s contest vs. Charlotte after previously being listed as questionable (Twitter link via the Wolves). It’s a big game for Minnesota, which would secure a playoff berth if it wins and Phoenix loses to Chicago.
- The Suns are hopeful forward Haywood Highsmith will return to action before the regular season ends, according to Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic (Twitter video link), but time is running out for that to happen. Head coach Jordan Ott said Highsmith hasn’t experienced any setbacks since he aggravated a right knee injury on March 17. “He is trending in the right direction,” Ott said. “Just not as much on the floor right now. He’s getting there. Just no play yet.” The 29-year-old was out for the ninth consecutive game Sunday.
- Karlo Matkovic (low back spasms), Trey Murphy III (right ankle sprain) and Dejounte Murray will all be sidelined on Sunday when the Pelicans face Orlando, the team announced (via Twitter). It’s the third straight absence for Matkovic and second for Murray. New Orleans is mired in a seven-game losing streak.
- The Mavericks are expected to get a couple of frontcourt players back on Sunday against the Lakers, Grant Afseth writes in a pair of stories for Dallas Hoops Journal. P.J. Washington has been cleared to return after missing three games due to an illness, while Marvin Bagley III (left shoulder impingement) is probable to suit up. Bagley has also missed the team’s last three games.
Cameron Boozer Has Orbital Fractures, Won’t Undergo Surgery
Duke forward Cameron Boozer, who is widely projected to be a top-four pick in the 2026 NBA draft, told media members on Sunday that he has a fractured orbital bone, but he decided to forgo surgery, writes Forbes contributor Jeff Fedotin.
Boozer suffered the injury last Sunday in the Blue Devils’ Elite Eight loss to UConn. The 18-year-old’s right eye was “noticeably swollen and bloodshot” today, per Fedotin.
“I have a couple of fractures, but I’m all good,” Boozer said, “just going through the healing process.”
Boozer earned numerous accolades following a freshman season in which he averaged 22.5 points, 10.2 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 1.4 steals on .556/.391/.789 shooting splits in 38 games (33.4 MPG). The first-team All-American was in Indianapolis on Sunday to accept a pair of Player of the Year trophies after previously being named AP Player of the Year.
“I’m just a winning player and all-around player,” Boozer said. “I impact the game in so many different ways. I think just my competitiveness translates to any level. So, I mean, yeah, I think any team who takes a chance on me is going to be very happy with the results they get.”
Boozer is the son of longtime NBA forward/center Carlos Boozer, a two-time All-Star whose last season came back in 2014/15.
Warriors Sign Charles Bassey
1:33 pm: Bassey’s deal is official, per the Warriors (Twitter link).
8:10 am: The Warriors plan to sign Charles Bassey, reports Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (via Twitter).
The 53rd overall pick in the 2021 draft, Bassey spent his first four NBA seasons with the 76ers and Spurs, appearing in 113 games and averaging 4.3 points and 4.3 rebounds in 11.1 minutes per contest from 2021-25. However, despite a strong Summer League showing last July in Las Vegas, he was unable to secure a regular roster spot at the NBA level this season and has bounced around among several teams in between G League stints.
Bassey signed a 10-day hardship contract with the Grizzlies in October, inked a pair of 10-day deals with Philadelphia in January and February, and recently nearly three weeks with the Celtics on two more 10-day contracts. He became a free agent on Saturday when his second 10-day deal with Boston expired on Friday night.
A 6’10” center from Nigeria, Bassey has averaged 2.9 points and 2.6 rebounds in 6.6 minutes per game across eight appearances with Memphis, Philadelphia and Boston in 2025/26.
He had a much larger role in the G League, averaging 20.5 points, 12.5 rebounds and 2.2 blocks in 20 games (29.9 MPG), with a shooting slash line of .606/.426/.654. The majority of those appearances (17) came with the Warriors’ affiliate team in Santa Cruz.
Bassey will essentially replace Turkish big man Omer Yurtseven, whose second 10-day contract with Golden State expired on Friday night.
If Bassey’s deal is completed on Sunday, he would be eligible to appear in five games over the last eight days of the regular season. He’ll likely earn the veteran’s minimum due to the Warriors’ cap situation.
Nikola Vucevic Returns Sunday For Celtics
Veteran center Nikola Vucevic will return to action on Sunday vs. Toronto, Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla confirmed to reporters, including Jay King of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Vucevic has been sidelined since March 6 due to a fractured right ring finger. The injury, which required surgery, was projected to sideline him for at least three-to-four weeks, and he’ll return in just under a month.
The 16th overall pick in the 2011 draft, Vucevic spent his rookie season with Philadelphia, then was traded to Orlando in the 2012 offseason as part of the four-team deal that sent Dwight Howard to the Lakers. Vucevic played eight-and-a-half years for the Magic prior to being traded to Chicago ahead of the 2021 deadline.
Vucevic spent six years with the Bulls, who traded him to the Celtics last month.
In his 11 healthy games with Boston, Vucevic averaged 11.4 points, 7.4 rebounds and 2.0 assists on .445/.351/.824 shooting in 23.5 minutes per contest. He has been coming off the bench with the Celtics after starting nearly every game in which he appeared over the past 10 years.
Overall, Vucevic has played 60 games (29.0 MPG) in 2025/26, averaging 15.6 PPG, 8.6 RPG and 3.4 APG on .496/.373/.835 shooting. The 35-year-old, who is playing on an expiring $21.5MM contract, will be an unrestricted this summer if he doesn’t sign a veteran extension with Boston before July 1, the start of the new league year.
Giannis Says Co-Owner’s Comments ‘A Slap In My Face’
In an exclusive interview with Lori Nickel of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (subscriber link), Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo says he felt disrespected by the comments co-owner and current governor Wes Edens made to ESPN a couple weeks ago.
“Giannis is going into the last year (of his contract),” Edens told ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne. “So one of two things will happen: Either he will be extended or he’ll be traded. The likelihood you’ll let him just kind of play out the last year, we can’t afford that. It’s not consistent with what’s good for the organization. That’s not a Giannis issue. That’s any player that’s in their last year.”
While those comments could be interpreted as an ultimatum, Antetokounmpo told Nickel he views it a little differently.
“For me, it’s like a slap in my face,” Antetokounmpo said.
Antetokounmpo will earn $58.5MM in 2026/27, followed by a $62.8MM player option for ’27/28. He’ll become eligible on October 1 to sign a four-year, maximum-salary extension (the exact value would depend on where the ’27/28 cap ends up). If he doesn’t sign an extension and opts out of that player option, he would be an unrestricted free agent in 2027.
The 31-year-old forward told the Journal Sentinel he found out about Edens’ stance when ESPN’s story was released. Antetokounmpo admits he wasn’t thrilled with the indirect communication.
“It says a lot …” Antetokounmpo said.
According to Nickel, the two-time MVP wasn’t “angry” or “accusatory” when he answered questions, but he was “straightforward.”
Nickel asked Antetokounmpo how many times he has spoken to Edens during the 2025/26 season, and he only recalled one conversation, which came via Zoom. Co-owner Jimmy Haslam was also on that Zoom call, and Antetokounmpo said he talked to Haslam one additional time.
Milwaukee has an unusual ownership structure that involves the governor title changing hands between co-owners Edens and Jimmy Haslam every five years (Haslam will become governor in 2028). In addition to controlling ownership rotating between those two men, another franchise shareholder, Jamie Dinan, is reportedly involved in major decisions.
Antetokounmpo wondered aloud whether the Nuggets or Thunder would ever make similar comments about Nikola Jokic or Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, respectively.
“Especially [as] somebody that has been this loyal, and I’ve showed appreciation, to the team, to the community, to the fans, to everybody that I’ve worked with, you know?” Antetokounmpo said. “And that’s almost, like, a slap in my face.”
This isn’t the first time Antetokounmpo and Edens have made differing public comments. Edens told reporters at the Bucks’ media day in late September that he had a “great conversation” with Antetokounmpo last June and that the nine-time All-NBA member “made it clear that he was very committed to Milwaukee.” At the time, Giannis said he didn’t recall that discussion.
Antetokounmpo reiterated his commitment and love for Milwaukee again during the interview, according to Nickel, who writes that the 10-time All-Star also made it clear he hopes future conversations between he and the Bucks remain private.
“I’m here, I committed, I’m wearing the jersey, and it is disrespectful to my teammates, to my coaching staff, to the people that I go and sweat with, and go to war with, to say, ‘I don’t want to be here’ − and I will never do that,” Antetokounmpo told the Journal Sentinel.
“Now, what goes on in private rooms? It’s not my job, it’s not my responsibility, and it should not − in no shape or form − be shared in public. I believe in etiquette. I believe in human etiquette, I believe in basketball etiquette. So with my owners, I have addressed what I feel and what I believe the situation is.
“Same with my GM, same with my coaches.
“And for me, that [Edens] comment was a slap [in] the face. But, it’s my boss. So I just gotta keep on moving forward.”
A Bucks employee was instructed to listen in on the conversation Antetokounmpo was having with the Journal Sentinel, Nickel writes. Antetokounmpo, who agreed that his contract gave him a degree of leverage this summer, said that while he still speaks to GM Jon Horst, the communication between the two isn’t as regular as it once was. He also made it clear he doesn’t trust the front office.
“Nobody,” he said. “I don’t feel comfortable talking to nobody.”
Antetokounmpo told Nickel he’s been more closed off this season.
“I tried this whole year to stay to myself, and also this past summer,” Antetokounmpo said. “I was more closed off to myself. I don’t know if that’s because I don’t feel comfortable opening up enough. Or if it’s just, I just don’t want to open up at this point.
“It’s definitely not like before.”
The league continues to investigate the Bucks for possible player participation policy violations over disagreements with Antetokounmpo about whether he’s healthy enough to play this season. The Bucks insist the perennial MVP candidate is still injured due to a left knee injury, while Antetokounmpo says he’s ready to play.
“You know who you are dealing with,” Antetokounmpo said Friday. “So for somebody to come and tell me to not play or not to compete, it’s like a slap in my face. So, I don’t know where the relationship goes from there.”
Head coach Doc Rivers said after Friday’s loss to Boston that he was tired of being in the middle of the public disagreements between management and Antetokounmpo, according to Eric Nehm of The Athletic. Rivers said it wasn’t up to him whether Antetokounmpo would be active or not.
“I’m out of the business of trying this subliminal messaging or all that crap,” Rivers said. “I’ve heard all the stuff. I just want everybody to be on the same side, (because) they deserve it. All of ‘em. I don’t think there’s a bad person in this group — none of the guys that I’m talking about. I think they’re all good people. But we gotta figure out how to put good people on the same page and it stays inside.”
Pacers Notes: Humbling Season, Siakam, Injuries, Offseason
David Aldridge of The Athletic takes a look at the “humbling” season the Pacers have endured in 2025/26 after they were two quarters away from winning their first NBA championship last June. Indiana is just 18-59 with five regular season games remaining in ’25/26.
“We talk a lot about just staying with the process,” guard Andrew Nembhard said. “I think it’s the competitiveness, bringing that energy every night, kind of when the season’s getting to the end, and it’s already out of (playoff) contention. It’s something you’ve got to work on. It’s only going to make us better for next season, having that competitive energy when it doesn’t really matter.”
The Pacers have been decimated by injuries this season, opening the campaign with a 1-13 record and signing several replacement players to temporary hardship deals in the fall. Head coach Rick Carlisle admits it was a “daunting” task to find consistency with so many players in and out of the lineup.
“When things get like this,” Carlisle said, “you’ve just got to find a way to operate that’s consistent and positive. That’s the tack that we’ve taken. The players have been terrific. … We acquire guys that are great people along with being good players. If you don’t have that kind of character, something like this can be a lot more arduous.”
Here’s more on the Pacers:
- All-Star forward Pascal Siakam suffered a left ankle sprain and a lower back bruise in the fourth quarter of Friday’s loss to Charlotte and has been ruled out of Sunday’s game in Cleveland, relays Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star (subscriber link). Only Siakam’s ankle sprain is listed on the NBA’s official injury report.
- Siakam isn’t the only starter who will be sidelined Sunday, as Nembhard (thoracic and lumbar injury management), Aaron Nesmith (cervical strain) and key reserve T.J. McConnell (bilateral hamstring injury management) will be out as well. Ben Sheppard (right hip strain) and Jarace Walker (sacral contusion) are questionable to suit up against the Cavs.
- Keith Smith of Spotrac previews the Pacers’ offseason, writing that he doesn’t expect the team to make a major splash on the trade market after acquiring Ivica Zubac ahead of the February deadline. Indiana projects to be over the first tax apron if it keeps its top-four protected 2026 first-round pick, Smith notes, so a cost-cutting move could be on the horizon for a team that hasn’t been a taxpayer in more than 20 years. If the pick lands between Nos. 5-9 and conveys to the Clippers, the Pacers could end up being just below the 2026/27 luxury tax line, Smith adds.