When Chicago Bulls head coach Billy Donovan sat down with the media on Friday night, he had to know what question was coming his way.
The organization found itself caught up in a shocking rumor 24 hours prior. Long-time local sports reporter Lou Canellis claimed that Giannis Antetokounmpo had previously expressed interest in joining the Chicago Bulls. As shocking as that was to Bulls fans, the report only grew crazier. Not only did the Greek Freak apparently have interest in a trade to Chicago, but the Bulls turned him away.
The concept of Chicago snubbing a Top 3 player in the NBA is incredibly hard to believe, so much so that many have questioned how accurate the report could be. Nevertheless, word has quickly spread around the 312 and beyond, which meant it came as little surprise that Donovan was asked for his thoughts.
Cody Westerlund of 670 The Score shared a video of Donovan’s comments, who stressed that he never heard anything come up behind the scenes about Antetokounmpo.
“I don’t know about any of that,” Donovan said. “I would just say this, like I told you guys, I think they always, and I’m talking about Arturas and Marc when I say they, when stuff presents itself that’s real, they come to me …
If there is something that can potentially happen that’s on the table, something that’s in the works or a possibility, they always come to me or communicate with me. But that situation with Giannis has never been communicated to me one way or the other. Whatever is going on there, they hadn’t come to me with any of that stuff.”