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Detroit Pistons Rival Bulls Make Critical Coaching Move

The Chicago Bulls are keeping Billy Donovan long-term.
Justin Grasso|
Feb 27, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bulls head coach Billy Donovan reacts during the second half against the Detroit Pistons at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images
Feb 27, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bulls head coach Billy Donovan reacts during the second half against the Detroit Pistons at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

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Following the 2024-2025 NBA season, it seemed inevitable that the Chicago Bulls would offer an extension to their head coach, Billy Donovan.

Indeed, the Detroit Pistons will continue facing teams managed by Donovan, as the extension is reportedly a done deal.

via @ShamsCharania: Chicago Bulls head coach Billy Donovan has signed a multi-year contract extension with the franchise, sources tell ESPN. Donovan is viewed as a leader within the Bulls organization and will enter his sixth season in Chicago in 2025-26 with 800 NBA games coached over his career.

The Donovan era in Chicago started in 2020. After the Oklahoma City Thunder lost in the first round of the 2019-2020 NBA Playoffs, Donovan parted ways with his first NBA organization.

He left OKC with five years under his belt. The Thunder had playoff runs each time, but couldn’t live up to their first postseason run, which involved a Western Conference Finals appearance.

Since landing in Chicago, Donovan hasn’t found much success. The Bulls missed the playoffs during his first season, after notching a 31-41 record.

In year two, Chicago fared much better with a 46-36 record, but they ended up losing 1-4 in the first round of the 2022 NBA Playoffs.

Three more seasons went by, and the Bulls haven’t made their way back to the postseason. While the Bulls’ struggles certainly aren’t all Donovan’s fault, the organization's decision to offer an extension to Donovan came as a bit of a shock across the league.

With job security becoming more and more difficult to come by in the NBA, Donovan has been in a rare position to be able to keep his job after missing the postseason in four out of five seasons.

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Justin Grasso
JUSTIN GRASSO

Justin Grasso was a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s 76ers On SI Network. Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writers Association. Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoMedia

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