Conversations between the Bulls and head coach Billy Donovan regarding an extension began during the season and were well underway before the New York Knicks called to express interest and request permission to speak with Donovan. Chicago shot down New York, but for Donovan’s camp, it never hurts negotiations to have other teams calling about the coach.
The deal is done, Donovan signed a multi-year extension, a story broken by ESPN’s Shams Charania and confirmed by Bulls PR.
Donovan has a 195-205 record across five seasons coaching the Bulls, and he led them to the playoffs once (a first-round exit at the hands of the Bucks in 2022). The past three seasons, the Bulls have not advanced past the play-in tournament.
That record would have a lot of coaches polishing their resumes and looking for a new gig, but two things are different with Donovan. First, ownership in Chicago likes the current power structure and has recently extended the contracts of executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas and general manager Marc Eversley — the entire management team is locked in.
Second, how much of that record is on Donovan, and how much should be on Karnisovas and Eversley for the rosters given the coach? Donovan was given a roster that, for much of the past five years, was built around DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine, and Nikola Vucevic, with the front office also making a big bet on Patrick Williams. You get what you pay for, and Donovan did as well with this as could be expected.
DeRozan and LaVine are gone, and the Bulls are betting Donovan is the coach to help them transition to what’s next. Last season, Donovan attempted to change things up, pushing for a faster tempo, which worked with the arrival of Josh Giddey (who is at his best in open space). Chicago now has to work out its long-term contract with Giddey, although that will get done before the season starts.
Whatever the Bulls are going to look like in a couple of years, we know who their coach will be.