The Chicago Bulls want to keep Billy Donovan, and they could not have made that more clear.
While it was already reported heavily for weeks, Michael Reinsdorf confirmed it when he sat down to speak to the media earlier this week. The President and CEO was fresh off firing Arturas Karnisovas and Marc Eversley – the organization’s Top 2 executives. While this kind of move typically lends itself to a head coaching change as well, Reinsdorf wants to see the Bulls take a different approach.
“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,” Reinsdorf said in an extra bout of confidence.
The comment undoubtedly drew its criticism, as many argued that the Bulls would be immediately handcuffing their next hire and thus limiting the attractiveness of the job. For what it’s worth, Reinsdorf would go on to backtrack the statement slightly to The Athletic. He said Donovan’s status will not take precedence over finding the right front office leader. Instead, Reinsdorf clarified that he simply doesn’t believe Donovan choosing to stay would deter anyone from interviewing.
Regardless, this whole conversation is moot until Donovan sits down with Reinsdorf following the conclusion of the regular season. The truth is that there is no guarantee Donovan will choose to stick around, especially with so much up in the air. After all, we saw him depart Oklahoma City under somewhat similar circumstances, choosing to find a more immediately competitive opportunity.
Multiple reports have been sure to remind us of Donovan’s unclear future in the wake of the front office news. More specifically, they have made sure to note that he would continue to have serious interest around the league if he chose to go in a different direction.
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