It's official. After rumblings of an inevitable Billy Donovan extension last month, the anticipated has come to fruition. According to ESPN's Shams Charania, the Chicago Bulls and Donovan have agreed on a multiyear extension.
Charania expounded on the extension, writing, "The Bulls and Billy Donovan started negotiations at the end of last season and continued conversations through this week amid offseason planning, a brief pursuit of Donovan by the New York Knicks, and the draft, free agency and summer league."
Charania's mention of the Knicks' pursuit is the point in time when the negotiations became public. NBA Insider Marc Stein first reported Chicago's intention to extend Donovan, blatantly stating, "The Bulls are in the process of extending coach Billy Donovan's contract…"
The Bulls' decision to extend Donovan exudes mediocrity
Chicago's decision to extend Donovan has certainly ruffled some feathers. Comments succeeding Charania's post on X have been both satirical and exasperated. Seemingly, it's safe to say no fan is elated, or at least accepting of the contract extension.
Donovan is notably the third-longest tenured coach in the NBA, only behind NBA Champions Erik Spoelstra and Steve Kerr. The Bulls hired Donovan in September 2020, merely two weeks after he departed from the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Donovan compiled an impressive 243-157 record with the Thunder, narrowly missing the NBA Finals in his first season with the organization. Since arriving in Chicago, Donovan has compiled a 195-205 record, including merely one playoff victory.
The Bulls' lack of success cannot be blamed entirely on Donovan. The DeMar DeRozan-Zach LaVine-Nikola Vučević experiment was objectively a failure. Chicago's win total capped out at 46 in 2022 with the trio, but point guard Lonzo Ball was arguably the most important piece to the equation. The 2021-22 Bulls were first in the Eastern Conference before Ball went down with a meniscus injury.
Following DeRozan's departure in 2024, the Bulls have completely radicalized their offensive approach under Donovan. Chicago transformed into one of the fastest-paced teams in the NBA. The Bulls went from 28th to second in pace in one season.
Moreover, Chicago continued to clean house, trading both LaVine and Ball, leaving Vučević and Ayo Dosunmu as the lone starters from the breakout 2021-22 squad. Yet despite the drastic roster changes, Donovan remains.
In an ever-changing NBA, it's a testament to the Bulls' Ownership's preferred continuity that Donovan remains the team's head coach. Frankly, not many other organizations would retain a head coach who oversaw three consecutive losing seasons, regardless of a roster and identity overhaul