Report: Bulls Won’t Fire Billy Donovan This Summer

According to NBA reporter Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic, the Chicago Bulls will not fire head coach Billy Donovan this summer. 

Donovan has a good relationship with Bulls executive vice president of basketball operations Artūras Karnišovas and general manager Marc Eversley.

“Despite the Bulls’ shortcomings, Donovan’s job by all indications is safe,” Marberry wrote. “He signed a multi-year extension before last season, and he maintains strong working relationships with Karnišovas and Eversley.”

The Bulls hired Donovan in 2020. They are 154-160 in the regular season and 1-4 in the playoffs under the former University of Florida coach. 

Donovan has been listed as a candidate to replace John Calipari at Kentucky. The Bulls won’t get in a bidding war for Donovan since Kentucky easily could raise the ante.

Donovan has earned a reported $24 million over his initial four-year contract with the Bulls. Calipari reportedly was set to earn $8.1 million next season and $8.6 million each subsequent season through 2029.

The Bulls will face the Atlanta Hawks in the 9-10 play-in tournament game. They will need to win two play-in games in a row to make the 2024 playoffs as the eighth seed. 

“It’s the same thing that I dealt with in college,” Donovan said on Feb. 8. “You want to be able to advance in the NCAA Tournament. You want to be able to advance in the playoffs. And our group had gotten into the playoffs the year prior to last and last year was a Play-In. And we want to be able to advance. We have not done that.”

Chicago is 23rd in the NBA in points per game, 13th in points per game allowed and 21st in net rating this season. 

The Bulls are expected to try to trade Zach LaVine again this summer. The All-Star shooting guard only played in 25 games this season. He underwent season-ending foot surgery.