In an easily criticized move by an often-criticized organization, the Chicago Bulls handed head coach Billy Donovan a multi-year contract extension on July 27. It's fair to wonder whether the decision will only lead to more mediocrity, but there's one crucial reason to believe it's the beginning of a new era -- albeit with the same coach -- now that Donovan has a roster he can mold to his favored style of play.
Chicago's front office, led by vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas, has retooled the squad on the fly, moving on from a veteran core of DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine, Lonzo Ball, Alex Caruso and Nikola Vucevic to a young one led by Josh Giddey, Coby White, Matas Buzelis and rookie Noa Essengue, the No. 12 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.
Vucevic is the only member of that quartet who remains in the Windy City, but even his tenure with the Bulls is coming to an end.
It's fitting that Donovan has a record just under .500 (195-205) during his time in Chicago. He's helmed a team that's been the NBA's poster child for averageness, even finishing the last two seasons with the same just-below-even record of 39-43.
But the franchise is trending in a different, dare we even say slightly optimistic, direction.
Billy Donovan is just beginning to put his chosen stamp on the Chicago Bulls
Before last season's home opener on Oct. 27, Donovan was asked about the decision to swap Caruso for Giddey. He had this to say, via Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune:
“One of the things we had talked about at the end of last season is from an identity standpoint, ‘How can we get back to playing how I think we all want to play?’ Alex [Caruso] is kind of a Swiss Army knife, played point guard, 3 guard, power forward, and guarded the best guys in the league.
“But a lot of times we didn’t necessarily have a pure point guard out there either, and I think that’s where the Josh conversation came in. ... Certainly, with the way we’re trying to play this year, it’s different from what it was last year."
That difference in "the way we're trying to play" bore out dramatically. With a half-court offense led by DeRozan in 2023-24, the Bulls finished 28th in pace and 22nd in points per game (112.3). Last season, Chicago finished second in pace and sixth in points per game (117.8).
Donovan is more prepared to play his style moving forward
The Bulls closed last year by winning 17 of their final 27 games. Giddey had the best season of his career, nearly averaging a triple-double after the all-star break. White set career highs in multiple offensive categories once he settled in as Chicago's leading scorer. Buzelis started the team's final 31 games and seems poised to take the proverbial sophomore leap.
Once Essengue gets on the floor consistently, he has the requisite athleticism and length to cause havoc on defense and help the Bulls increase their transition opportunities. Acquiring another athletic, defensive-minded wing in Isaac Okoro will add the same type of threat. For all the things Patrick Williams isn't, he's another young, physically gifted forward in that 3-and-D mold.
The DeRozan days are long gone. Last season made that abundantly clear, and Donovan's staff is ready to push the pace even further in 2025-26. Admittedly, he doesn't have the kind of résumé that deserves a contract extension, but he hasn't necessarily been given the roster to boost that résumé. Now he does. And with a new deal, he has some leeway to use it the way he sees fit.