CHICAGO (670 The Score) – As the Bulls have set course on another rebuild, coach Billy Donovan stressed that he’s “all for doing what’s best for the organization” and sounded open to overseeing the struggles that are sure to come after Chicago traded two-time All-Star guard Zach LaVine to Sacramento on Sunday.
The Bulls’ trade of LaVine was a significant move in shifting from competing for a play-in tournament berth to focusing on their long-term future, as they got back three role players and the full rights to their own 2025 first-round pick that they had previously traded to the Spurs back in 2021. As the trade deadline looms Thursday afternoon, the Bulls are still looking to trade other veterans, such as center Nikola Vucevic, which would further shift them to a youth movement.
Before the Bulls hosted the Heat on Tuesday evening at the United Center, Donovan acknowledged the significance of trading LaVine. The Bulls were 21-29 and in 10th in the East entering play Tuesday.
“The feeling was, and you guys (the media) have talked a lot about it too and I think we all felt the same way – it was kind of like we were stuck maybe in the middle and we need to pick a direction, right?” Donovan said. “And I think everybody was on board with that. And in some of these situations when you’re trying to make moves and do different things, you’ve got to have a partner to be able to work with to be able to make those things happen. I still think there’s a long process in this, quite honestly, as it relates to you have a couple days left in this period (before the trade deadline), you’re going to move into the draft, you’re going to move into free agency in July. So there’s going to be windows that these things continue to happen.
“I’m all for doing what’s best for the organization, and I think all the way from top to bottom, I think everybody felt the same way – ‘We’re kind of in the middle here, we’re going to have to make a shift and do something.’ And I think that’s been the goal to try to get that done.”
Donovan joined the Bulls in 2020, just weeks after he parted ways with the Thunder after coaching in Oklahoma City for five seasons. To some degree, an outside perception has persisted that Donovan left the Thunder in large part because the organization was set to embark on a rebuild.
He refuted that Tuesday.
“The situation in Oklahoma City is totally different,” Donovan said. “I think there was maybe a lot of things said or put out there publicly that I had no interest in a rebuild. That’s not true. I never said that. I never felt like that.
“To me, it’s all about the direction and where we’re going and what we’re doing and do they want me to be a part of that? You know what I mean? I’ve had a great relationship with Jerry and Michael Reinsdorf. They’ve been unbelievable to me. I’ve had a great working relationship with Arturas (Karnisovas) and Marc (Eversley), the coaching staff, everybody. So when I say, it’s not like I’m trying to skirt the question. The biggest thing for me right is I’ve just got to find out the direction we’re going and do they want me to be part of the direction? I think all those things play a factor. To me, I guess what I’m saying is when we talk about like rebuild, retool, whatever work you want to use, that’s all I’ve been a part of. I took over a program at Florida that had two straight losing seasons and my first two years were losing seasons. That’s what happened … Most of the time, that’s what you’re dealing with.
“Clearly, we’re making a shift. I want to be part of building something. But what direction are we going and how are we going to build it and what we are going to do? I don’t think anybody inside the organization has those answers right now just because I don’t know if anything is totally complete at this point.”
In a notable comment, the 59-year-old Donovan also indicated his biggest priority at this point of his coaching career is his relationships with those around him. While the Bulls haven’t shared full specifics of Donovan’s contract, the belief is he’s under contract through the 2025-’26 season. Donovan has a 177-191 (.481) record in five seasons in Chicago.
“There was a lot of talk when the season started where we talked about what are you guys trying to do?” Donovan said. “Are you trying to win? Are you trying to get the (previously top 10-protected) pick? What are you trying to do? And I said that the integrity of competition was there.
“At the end of the day, what ends up happening, it is the relationship piece of it that matters the most to me. Because as a young coach, being a young coach at 27, 28 years old as you’re trying to establish yourself, you get on a treadmill of just result – win, win, win. And believe me, I’m as competitive as there is and I want to win. There’s no doubt about that. But when I see Joakim Noah and when I see Al Horford and I see Corey Brewer and I see David Lee and I see Brad Beal, and the relational piece and the impact that we all made on each other, that to me is not going anywhere. As much as I want results, I don’t want the results at a point where – I really, really believe this, is like I’m not going to step over bodies to try to get something to survive, you know what I mean? The most important thing to me is my integrity is intact in the locker room and what I say I’m going to do, I’m going to do. And there’s a level of honesty and transparency and openness there. That’s really what’s most important to me.
“It’s a people business and you’re dealing with people – that’s really the most important thing to me.”
Cody Westerlund is an editor for 670TheScore.com and covers the Bulls. Follow him on Twitter @CodyWesterlund.