Pistons Rival Reportedly Gambling With an Odd Plan

A possible extension in Chicago shouldn't pose a threat to the Detroit Pistons.

Oct 23, 2021; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bulls head coach Billy Donovan gestures to his team during the first half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | David Banks-Imagn Images

Looking across the Central Division, the Detroit Pistons will see one of their direct rivals make a move that might have NBA fans scratching their heads.

According to the NBA insider, Marc Stein, the Bulls are in the process of extending their head coach, Billy Donovan.

Since 2020, Donovan has coached the Pistons’ rivals. He joined the Bulls after spending five seasons with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Bulls are in the process of extending coach Billy Donovan's contract, league sources tell @TheSteinLine.

Donovan, of course, was one of five coaches under contract that the Knicks sought permission to speak to.

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📷: @CHGO_Bulls pic.twitter.com/FLQoDx6k33

— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) June 15, 2025

While the Bulls were praised for the acquisition of Donovan in 2020, the organization hasn’t seen a ton of success during his tenure. Chicago missed the playoffs with a 31-41 record in Donovan’s first year. Although the Bulls made the playoffs in 2022, they went 1-4 in the first round.

Since then, Donovan’s Bulls haven’t made the postseason. With three straight seasons of winning fewer than 50 percent of their games, the Bulls have been a borderline rebuilding squad. After parting ways with Zach LaVine during the 39-43 season in 2024-2025, it seemed a fresh start could be on the horizon in Chicago. A possible extension for Donovan sort of shakes the situation up.

The veteran head coach doesn’t deserve all of the blame for the Bulls’ shortcomings over the years, but his history in the NBA doesn’t suggest he’s a strong candidate to flip a struggling franchise into a contender. During his time in OKC, Donovan started strong with a Western Conference Finals appearance in year one. From that point on, the Thunder lost in the first round for four seasons in a row.

Donovan and the Bulls typically took care of business against the Pistons, winning 11 games in a row for three-straight seasons, but an improved Pistons team currently has its own streak building against the Bulls now. After snapping a 15-game losing streak against Chicago in October 2023, the Pistons won four of their last seven games against the Bulls.

It’s unclear which direction the Bulls are headed next season, but Chicago doesn’t seem to pose a major threat in the Central Division as of now.