What the Bulls' Michael Reinsdorf Said About Billy Donovan is Concerning

If Chicago Bulls ownership had a fan club, meetings would be attended by John Paxson and as many Benny the Bull stuffed animals as he could bring to fill extra seats.

The franchise has been an afterthought for the majority of the 21st century. If they didn't beat miraculous odds and end up with Derrick Rose No. 1 overall in 2008, there is no telling just how many postseason-less years would have gone by. They are currently on a stretch of just two playoff appearances in a nearly decade-long span. Since their first-round exit against the Boston Celtics in 2016-17, the Bulls have cracked the postseason once and stumbled in a swift five games.

All things considered, this is why the Reinsdorf family has remained as criticized as any ownership group in the NBA. It's also why Michael Reinsdorf was never going to change any minds when he addressed the media on Tuesday afternoon. The proof is in the pudding, and the pudding has tasted like an anchovies-and-jelly sandwich for far too long. Better results will be the only way to win fans over.

Nevertheless, as reluctant as many fans may be to give it, Michael deserves some credit. The President and CEO of the Chicago Bulls met with reporters on Tuesday after firing Arturas Karnisovas and Marc Eversley. Again, it was never going to be viewed as a perfect press conference, but he said a lot of the right things.

Michael commented that he wasn't absolved from the mistakes of the past and vowed to be more involved moving forward. He outlined an extended list of qualities that he will search for in a new front office face, highlighting the importance of communication and being process-oriented. Michael specifically called out Karnisovas for being bad at the former.

With that said, Michael also said one very concerning thing. Addressing the significant changes and the organization's plan to do a diligent search, he stressed how highly he views current head coach Billy Donovan:

“I also want to take a minute to speak about Billy," Michael said. "Billy is a Hall of Fame coach, who not only has my respect but the entire organization’s and locker room. We will handle any conversations about the coaching staff as we do every year, after the season. I want it to be very clear: We want Billy to continue to be the coach of the Chicago Bulls. At the end of the day, this is about bringing in a new leadership team that can build a winning team that our fans can be proud of.”

As if that wasn't enough of a ringing endorsement of the third-longest tenured head coach in the NBA, Michael continued:

“If we interview someone and they are not sold on Billy: They’re not sold on a Hall of Fame head coach. They’re not sold on a person who has won championships in college, who has gone deep in the playoffs with Oklahoma City, who I believe with the Chicago Bulls every year, given the team he was given, I think he achieved really good results. Not the results that we wanted, but that’s not because of Billy," Michael said. "So, if someone isn’t interested in Billy and Billy wants to be our coach, and someone is not interested in that, then they’re probably not the right candidate for us.”

To put it differently, wanting to move on from Billy Donovan could immediately end your chances at the Chicago Bulls' open gig. And that sure feels counterintuitive to the whole process!

Are Bulls Making a Billy Donovan Mistake?

Mar 28, 2026; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Chicago Bulls head coach Billy Donovan talks with forward Matas Buzelis (14) during the fourth quarter against the Memphis Grizzlies at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Let's make one thing very clear: Whether or not Billy Donovan returns to the Chicago Bulls is up in the air. He has remained steadfast in focusing on the here and now, stressing that he will have to sit down with management after the season before deciding his future.

Even with the Tar Heel job off the table, we have reason to believe Donovan could be prepared to walk. Not only was this a trying year for him personally, but all the unknown in Chicago could be hard to embrace, especially as new NBA jobs likely open up.

At the same time, the Bulls are clearly desperate to have Donovan stay. As long as he is interested in coaching, why wouldn't he want to remain part of an organization that values him so highly? They are evidently willing to give him whatever he wants, and Michael Reinsdorf even confirmed that he would like to "push" Donovan to be even more involved with team-building affairs.

The problem here, though, is rather obvious. A lead front office executive typically picks his head coach – not the other way around. Going into a search insisting that a new hire must keep and work with Donovan simply isn't good business. It immediately puts constraints on a potential hire and suggests that there is already someone more important than them inside the organization.

None of this is to say Donovan isn't a respected voice or can't continue to be a viable head coach. But the whole point of bringing in a new executive is to hand them the car keys. Should they have checks and balances? Sure, but that should come from ownership and not a head coach, specifically one who has yet to garner any championship cache.

It doesn't matter how enticing the Bulls' job may be; the best in the business aren't going to willingly put on a pair of handcuffs. Expecting them to do so in any capacity is the wrong mentality to have going into such a pivotal search. While it may not officially remove you from finding a suitable decision-maker, there is no question that it decreases your chances in a real way. But, hey, perhaps Billy Donovan saves the Bulls from themselves. I hear the Amalfi Coast is lovely in October!

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