On Monday, the Chicago Bulls announced that they parted ways with Artūras Karnišovas and his aide Marc Eversley. Not long after that, NBA insider Jake Fischer reported that the team "hopes to retain" head coach Billy Donovan.
That's interesting enough, considering that you'd assume whoever Chicago brings in as its new decision-maker would be the one to decide that. It doesn't mean Donovan will stick around, but it does give insight into the direction the Bulls want to go.
After dismissing Arturas Karnisovas and Marc Eversley, sources say Chicago very much hopes to retain head coach Billy Donovan, who remains under contract with the Bulls. Although, with Michael Malone off to UNC, Donovan will be a veteran head coach other NBA teams surely covet… https://t.co/bc9EqLAgy3
— Jake Fischer (@JakeLFischer) April 6, 2026
Chicago hired Donovan in 2020, but the front office has failed to put him in a position to do something with a somewhat capable roster. The Bulls have one playoff appearance, in 2022, when the Bucks beat them in five games in the first round.
Instead of embracing mediocrity, Michael Reinsdorf is finally ready to give the organization the fresh start fans have pleaded for the past few years. Assuming that Chicago is finally steering toward a full rebuild, it's worth wondering if Donovan is the right coach for this next phase.
Clearly, the Bulls think so, but they're not in full control of his future.
North Carolina might've done the Bulls a favor by hiring Malone
Chicago got an assist from North Carolina, as ESPN's Pete Thamel reported that the school agreed to hire former Nuggets coach Michael Malone as its next head coach on Monday. Earlier in the day, several reports surfaced that UNC was targeting Donovan as its next head coach.
Brendan Marks of The Athletic even reported that Donovan had "already begun discussing his potential staff were he to accept a Tar Heels offer." We already knew he had been thinking about it, but it really felt like something was in the works (subscription required). With the transfer portal opening on Tuesday, though, UNC wanted to act fast.
Bulls reportedly want to keep Billy Donovan
Chicago doesn't have to worry about North Carolina poaching Donovan, but as Fischer included in his tweet, other NBA teams could pursue the coach this summer, especially now that Malone is no longer an option. The Bulls declined the Knicks' request to interview their head coach last summer.
You have to wonder how Donovan feels about sticking around in Chicago, though he is still under contract. Keep in mind that toward the end of March, Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times reported that there had been "growing speculation" (subscription required) that the coach could step away at the end of the season.
Did Monday's events change that? Well, the Bulls certainly hope so.