Billy Donovan, Bulls Reportedly Discussing Contract Extension Amid Knicks HC Rumors
After denying the New York Knicks' request to interview head coach Billy Donovan, the Chicago Bulls reportedly plan to keep him around for quite some time.
NBA insider Marc Stein reported that the Bulls "are in the process of extending" Donovan's contract to keep him in the fold for the foreseeable future.
Donovan previously signed a contract extension with Chicago ahead of the 2022-23 season, and Stein reported that his current deal is "said to have one year remaining." Donovan's inclusion among the five head coaches under contract sought after by the Knicks "appears to have helped spark" a new deal for him with the Bulls.
After a five-year tenure as head coach of the Oklahoma City Thunder, Donovan was hired by the Bulls prior to the 2020-21 season. In five seasons in Chicago, he made just one playoff appearance in the team's lone winning season with him at the helm, losing in the first round in 2022. He has a cumulative record of 195-205.
In 2024-25, the Bulls went 39-43 and lost to the Miami Heat in the play-in tournament. Chicago traded longtime star shooting guard Zach LaVine to the Sacramento Kings at the 2025 deadline, ushering in a youth movement led by point guard Coby White. The team will have the No. 12 pick in the 2025 NBA draft later this month, giving it the chance to add another young talent.
Donovan will be tasked with putting it all together, as the Bulls appear committed to having him lead the franchise back to prominence.
