Chicago Bulls head coach Billy Donovan is confronting a daunting challenge as the franchise navigates an uncertain rebuilding phase this season. Following a roster overhaul that left the Bulls fielding a largely new and untested lineup, the team has struggled to find cohesion, losing every game since January while trying to piece together a competitive unit on the fly in Chicago. Donovan finds himself tasked with transforming a patchwork group of players into a functioning team amid significant organizational transitions.
Challenges of Coaching a Constantly Changing Roster
Monday’s game versus the Brooklyn Nets underscored the Bulls’ instability, with only three players remaining from the roster a week earlier. Donovan described the current situation as “unprecedented,” highlighting the difficulty of building chemistry when so many new pieces are thrust together rapidly. The Bulls have yet to secure a victory this year, and with 28 games left in the season, Donovan’s immediate role is to manage this unsettled roster while seeking any opportunity for progress.
Despite this, Donovan recognizes the team is far from complete.
“We’re not going to be a finished product,”
he said.
“It’s not going to work like that. And we’ll see if we can ever get there.”
This bleak outlook illustrates the heavy uncertainty surrounding the Bulls’ short-term prospects in Chicago.
Front Office’s Vision and the Coach’s Role
Artūras Karnišovas, the Bulls’ executive vice president of basketball operations, has repeatedly avoided labeling the current phase as a “rebuild,” yet the organization is clearly embracing major changes to construct a more competitive roster moving forward. Donovan remains a central figure in these plans, valued by management as a pivotal asset to Chicago’s future. However, the question remains whether Donovan himself is fully on board with enduring the difficulties of a comprehensive rebuild.
Donovan’s tenure with the Bulls has been marked by modest success, often regarded with mixed feelings by the fanbase due to inconsistent results. His teams have generally hovered around mediocrity, and the franchise’s performance is on track to worsen as they slide toward a potential draft lottery position. Still, his coaching skill has helped develop key young players — including Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu — who represent bright spots amid the struggles.
Last summer’s contract extension signaled the Bulls’ confidence in Donovan’s leadership, yet the inherent difficulty of rebuilding might test his willingness to continue if long-term success seems distant. Past reports around his departure from the Oklahoma City Thunder suggest Donovan traditionally avoids committing to projects involving painful, multi-year rebuilds. Though those stories may have been overstated, they cast a shadow on how he might approach the current rebuilding uncertainty in Chicago.
Donovan’s Perspective on Rebuilding and Player Development
Donovan has pushed back on simplistic narratives about his coaching identity. At the trade deadline, he emphasized his extensive experience reshaping rosters during his collegiate career, though he acknowledges that college programs do not receive the same rewards for enduring difficult rebuilding stretches as NBA franchises do. This distinction complicates understanding his hopes or reservations for Chicago’s future roster construction.
Before a recent game against the Toronto Raptors, Donovan candidly expressed the need for greater clarity on the Bulls’ direction.
“I think we’ve got to sit down as an organization, quite honestly — myself, ownership, the front office — and just find the direction and the clarity,”
he said.
His stature as a coach who values building the “right way” stems from Chicago’s failed attempts in forming a competitive team based on veteran acquisitions. Early promise during the 2021-22 season faded rapidly, prompting the organization to reconsider its strategy, especially with promising draft classes on the horizon, such as those expected in 2026.
Donovan observes a league-wide shift towards younger, faster teams, citing Detroit’s meteoric rise—from a 14-68 record in 2024 to contention atop the Eastern Conference—as a successful example of a rapid rebuild fueled by high draft picks. He commented,
“There’s a lot of younger people coming in. The speed and the pace of the game has changed. A lot of teams are getting younger.”
Value of Working with Young Talent
Donovan’s appreciation for developing young players remains genuine. He holds deep pride in guiding Bulls draftees such as Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu, reflecting on the meaningful relationships built throughout his tenure. He also fondly recalls the impact of coaches like Rick Pitino in his own formative years, aiming to replicate that nurturing environment for rising Bulls prospects such as Matas Buzelis.
His coaching record in Chicago, featuring 195 wins and 205 losses, may not dazzle, but Donovan regards the progress of these young players as career highlights.
“When I reflect back to see where Coby was when I first got here, to see where he is now and to see where Ayo is and to be part of that and to witness that — I find that very rewarding and fulfilling,”
he said. “I do enjoy that.”
Guarding Against Pitfalls in Player Development
Still, Donovan stresses that simply drafting young talent does not guarantee development. He insists a comprehensive system is essential—one that offers clear role definitions and fosters growth within a supportive team framework. This approach helps players understand their responsibilities and maximize their potential.
More importantly, Donovan warns that rebuilding success hinges on selecting players with the right character traits — those who possess competitiveness, strong mindset, basketball IQ, and internal motivation. Absent these qualities, he fears young prospects might falter in Chicago’s notoriously challenging environment.
“The development piece is really a partnership,”
Donovan explained.
“I don’t think Coby and Ayo would have made the steps and the growth and had the development that they had if it was not for the fact that both of those guys were incredibly driven, motivated and total team guys. If you get a young player that doesn’t have that mentality, it’s really, really hard to develop a guy.”
Immediate Focus Versus Long-Term Decisions
At present, Donovan’s attention remains on managing the current season’s hurdles—coaching a frontcourt thin on healthy centers, handling a crowded backcourt lacking size, and keeping emerging talents like Buzelis on track despite the team’s overall struggles. However, the decisions he makes in the coming months will significantly influence the Bulls’ rebuild trajectory.
The franchise is unmistakably in transition, with or without Donovan’s full endorsement. What remains uncertain is how much hardship and losing the coach is willing to endure as the Bulls navigate the difficult path of reconstruction in Chicago.
