According to Jamal Collier’s reporting, the Bulls’ former executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas and general manager Marc Eversley had often pointed to ownership’s limitations as a key factor in their decision-making, with ownership hesitant to commit to a rebuild fully.
Head coach Billy Donovan has also traditionally preferred to avoid rebuilding situations, even as the team remained stuck in the middle of the standings for several seasons.
Collier notes that the front office’s trade results played a role in their dismissal as well.
Chicago was slow to move on from its core group of Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, Nikola Vucevic, Alex Caruso, Coby White, and Lonzo Ball, and when moves were eventually made, the returns were viewed as underwhelming.
“We took too long to pick a lane,” the team source told ESPN. “The Lonzo thing just really messed them up. We saw that success early on, and didn’t have the foresight to pivot early.”
Ball’s extended absence, missing more than two years due to a knee injury that required multiple surgeries, significantly impacted the team’s trajectory and complicated long-term planning.
While the Bulls are interested in keeping Donovan in the organization, Collier suggests that may not necessarily be in a head coaching role, depending on his future plans.
Donovan has also dealt with personal loss, as both his father and mother-in-law passed away within eight days of each other in February.
Given those circumstances, there has been speculation that he could step away for a period to reassess his next steps.
Could Billy Donovan still remain with the Bulls beyond this season in the wake of their front office upheaval? That + more out of Chicago: https://t.co/rtZfghWlcQ
— Hoops Rumors (@HoopsRumors) April 7, 2026
