Is Billy Donovan's Future Still With the Chicago Bulls as Franchise Pivots?

Billy Donovan has been in this situation before.

The only reason the head coach found his way to Chicago is because of a decision to part ways with the Oklahoma City Thunder. Front office leader Sam Presti was ready to undergo a more traditional rebuild after a surprise playoff appearance around a three-guard nucleus of Chris Paul, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Dennis Schroder. All things considered, it was an impressive coaching display by Donovan and his crew – one that would have been counterintuitive for the organization a year later.

The Thunder wanted to take a calculated step backward to continue building around an emerging star in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Donovan seemingly wanted a more defined future, in which winning remained a priority. This is ultimately why he found his way to the Chicago Bulls with new front office brain trust Arturas Karnisovas and Marc Eversley. The two had an aggressive plan to reinvent the roster and give Donovan a veteran team.

This plan has now officially fallen through. The Bulls sent seven players out the door at the trade deadline and have lost ten games in a row for the first time under Donovan's watch. A lottery pick in a deep 2026 NBA Draft appears to be the priority, which begs the question: Will history repeat itself?

What Does the Future Hold for Billy Donovan and the Bulls?

Billy Donovan of the Chicago Bulls — Jan 18, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bulls head coach Billy Donovan reacts against the Brooklyn Nets during the first half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images | Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images

The past already made it difficult not to question the future for Billy Donovan, but K.C. Johnson of Chicago Sports Network recently dumped some more fuel on the fire.

The long-time Bulls insider spoke about Donovan's current situation on a recent episode of The Fastbreak. To be clear, Johnson did not provide any concrete update on where things stand with the head coach, but that's exactly why the comments stood out so much.

“Billy Donovan is as focused on this new challenge as anyone in this organization," Johnson said. "But, at the end of the season, he’s going to sit down, exhale, debrief with ownership, debrief with management, about the direction of the franchise."

Johnson went on to clarify that Donovan spoke about how rewarding it has been to see the development of players like Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu. In other words, development is something he very much values and could be willing to prioritize with the right players moving forward. With that being the case, Johnson did push back slightly on the perception that Donovan would not undertake a rebuild of any kind.

“That’s not to guarantee that he’s going to be here the next 3, 4, 5 years, but it is to say that the myth about him not wanting to be part of a rebuilding project or rebuilding situation is a little overstated," Johnson said.

One also has to wonder if the success of the Oklahoma City Thunder since Donovan's departure has left an impression on him. The organization has proven to be the prime example of how valuable a rebuild can be, as they ended up with Chet Holmgren, Jalen Williams, and several other current contributors on their contending team. Even drafting Josh Giddey ultimately helped the franchise acquire a key piece in Alex Caruso.

So, if the Bulls can paint the right picture, it sure feels like there is a world where Donovan would remain bought in. But can this front office manage to do that? If one thing is for sure, they have yet to outline a clear path forward to fans and media.

The good news for Chicago is they do have the assets to potentially turn things around rather quickly. They have arguably more financial flexibility than any team in the NBA, as well as a full arsenal of draft picks. The sheer number of opportunities they have in front of them may be enough to keep Donovan invested.

At the same time, pulling yourself out of a rebuild is always challenging. There is no guarantee that better days are on the horizon for Chicago in the near future, and that kind of unknown is seemingly what worried Donovan before.

Here is what Presti said in the statement announcing Donovan's departure from OKC:

"We had planned to sit down at the end of the season and discuss the best way to move forward for both of us," said Sam Presti. "After those discussions, it became apparent that we couldn't provide him the information on the future direction of the team over the next several seasons to give him the level of clarity that he understandably desires at this stage of his career.

Again, it's hard to imagine the Bulls can give Donovan much more clarity, especially with a roster that is about to see even more turnover in the coming months. Let's also not forget that he does remain a very respected voice in league circles.

Despite frustration from fans in Chicagoland, Donovan has rarely been seen as the problem. The Bulls' recent denial of the Knicks' request to interview him for their opening underscores that point. If Donovan wanted to find a more competitive environment, he likely could.

Natural breaking points sometimes arise in the NBA, and this may very well be that point for both him and the Chicago Bulls. Heck, he has already been with the organization far longer than most, currently acting as the third-longest tenured leader in the league. As we are seeing now with this roster, change is inevitable, and who's to say this does not lead to a shake-up in other areas of the organization?

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