Latest Bulls Rumors on Billy Donovan's Future and Search for New VP, GM After Firings

Chicago Bulls coach Billy Donovan might be sticking around despite the team's dismissals of top executives Arturas Karnisovas and Marc Eversley.

The Bulls are "still expected to try to retain coach Billy Donovan in some capacity after the season," ESPN's Jamal Collier reported Tuesday.

Team president and CEO Michael Reinsdorf later threw his support behind Donovan:

Chicago announced Monday the team had fired Karnisovas, former EVP of basketball operations, alongside former GM Eversley with one week remaining in the regular season.

The news came after Donovan received interest from other teams including UNC. As of last weekend he was the top choice to replace Hubert Davis as the Tar Heels' men's basketball coach, per The Athletic's Brendan Marks.

The Tar Heels pivoted shortly after that report to former Denver Nuggets coach Mike Malone, who is now expected to take over in Chapel Hill, per CBS Sports' Matt Norlander.

Donovan has been with the Bulls for six seasons, the same tenure as Karnisovas and Eversley. He also left his last head coaching job with the Oklahoma City Thunder as the franchise was gearing up for a rebuild in 2020.

Despite those ties to a potential departure from the organization, Collier wrote Monday the Bulls are planning "to meet with [Donovan] in the offseason to see how the team can retain him."

Collier also wrote that "team sources have in recent weeks wondered whether Donovan would decide to take a step back" after losing multiple family members during the season while taking minimal time away from the team.

"The team has made it clear, though, that it wants him back in the organization as coach or in some capacity going forward, sources told ESPN," Collier wrote.

The Chicago Sun-Times' Joe Cowley reported last Tuesday there was a growing rift between Karnisovas and the Bulls players and coaching staff.

"If Karnisovas stays, there's a growing chance Donovan will leave at the end of the season," Cowley wrote.

Karnisovas' departure indicates Donovan could potentially have a say in who leads the Bulls' rebuild going forward.

The Bulls could then hope a more cohesive relationship between head coach and front office can lead to more success in the future after making just one playoff appearance over the last six seasons of the Donovan and Karnisovas era.