Billy Donovan, Bulls Reportedly Agree to New Contract After Knicks Offseason Rumors
The Chicago Bulls and head coach Billy Donovan agreed to a multiyear extension, according to ESPN's Shams Charania.
Charania reported the Bulls continue to see the coach as "a leader within the Bulls organization."
Donovan joined the Bulls prior to the 2020-21 season and led them to a 31-41 record. His second season began with great expectation after the team reloaded and constructed a core four of DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine, Nikola Vucevic and Lonzo Ball.
Chicago started 2021-22 on fire and once sat first in the Eastern Conference with a 26-10 record. The Bulls struggled from that point but rebounded to post a 39-21 record after a six-game win streak, still good enough for first.
However, the team lost Lonzo Ball due to a left knee injury in January and simply could not recover. The Bulls stumbled to a 46-36 record and lost in the first round of the playoffs to the Milwaukee Bucks.
The 2022-23 season did not go as planned, with the team going 40-42 and losing in the play-in tournament. The 2023-24 campaign ended with the same result, minus one regular-season win (39-43).
This season was more of the same, with the team mired in the play-in section of the standings.
Chicago notably dealt LaVine to further break up the old core that was supposed to lead the Bulls back to greatness, although the team did enjoy the success of Josh Giddey, who was traded to town from the Oklahoma City Thunder for Alex Caruso. The Bulls also welcomed back Ball after a two-and-a-half season absence.
However, the 2024-25 crew could not achieve playoff success, ending the season in the opening matchup of the Play-In Tournament.
Still, the Bulls have faith that Donovan can still take this team to the next level.
The news isn't a surprise after Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times reported on June 18 that the Bulls gave executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnišovas and general manager Marc Eversley extensions and were close to doing the same with Donovan.
Donovan starred for Providence College in the 1980s and helped lead the Friars to the Final Four. He later landed a job as Marshall's head coach in 1994. Two years later, he felt for Florida, where he stayed until 2016. Donovan's teams made four Final Fours and three national championships, winning two back-to-back in 2006 and 2007.
Donovan parlayed that success into the Oklahoma City head coaching gig. The Thunder made the playoffs in all five of his seasons but lost in the first round in the final four of them. The two sides parted ways after the 2019-20 season.
The 60-year-old has enjoyed a tremendous amount of success on various levels. He sports a fantastic resume that led to him being inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame's Class of 2025.
The Bulls hope that basketball brilliance can eventually lead to the team making (and winning) the NBA Finals for the first time since the end of the Michael Jordan era in 1998.
