Bulls Prioritize Retaining Billy Donovan As Part Of Next GM Search

If I interview someone and they're not sold on Billy, they're not sold on a Hall of Fame coach, Reinsdorf said. If Billy wants to be our coach and someone's not interested in that, then they're probably not the right candidate for us. Donovan is set to meet with ownership the day after Sunday's season finale to discuss his future. Reinsdorf said he expected the conversation to be brief and expressed interest in expanding Donovan's role in personnel decisions. Donovan was considered a candidate for the University of North Carolina job that eventually went to Michael Malone. According to Jake Fischer, Donovan refused to interview for the Tar Heels' job. If Donovan becomes available, several NBA teams would be expected to pursue him. The Bulls, currently 30-49 with less than one week remaining in the regular season, will engage a search firm, something the organization did not do when hiring Karnisovas in 2020. Reinsdorf noted he never met Karnisovas in person before extending that offer. Reinsdorf identified clear priorities for the incoming executive: strong communication skills, process-oriented thinking, and a willingness to act decisively. He also directly criticized both tanking and short-term roster construction. Going forward, it's about sustainability, Reinsdorf said. I don't want to be just good for one or two years. I want it to be year in and year out, we have a chance to be competitive and win. Chicago holds notable assets heading into the offseason, including cap space and potential lottery selections, among them a conditional first-round pick from the Portland Trail Blazers if they qualify for the playoffs.