When it rains, it pours for the Chicago Bulls. If missing the playoffs, losing their coach, and struggling to find a suitable front office weren't bad enough, now the fans might watch one of their favorites jump ship to join another Eastern Conference team.
With the Orlando Magic parting ways with Jamahl Mosley, Josh Robbins of The Athletic reported that Billy Donovan is one of the leading candidates to take the reins of the team. He has a history with the organization:
"In recent days, league sources have speculated that former University of Florida, Oklahoma City Thunder and Chicago Bulls coach Billy Donovan could emerge as a candidate for the Magic," Robbins wrote. "Donovan famously accepted the Magic coaching job during the 2007 offseason, after he won back-to-back NCAA titles at Florida, then got cold feet and decided to return to college."
Billy Donovan deserved better in Chicago
Donovan's NBA résumé might be a bit overrated, but it's not entirely on him. Especially in Chicago, he did the best he could with the hand he was given, which more often than not, was far from enough to compete at the highest level.
Arturas Karnisovas and Marc Eversley refused to fully embrace tanking, yet they didn't give Donovan the players he needed to be much more than a perennial Play-In Tournament team. They also failed to maximize the value of their All-Stars and best players, constantly refusing to trade them.
All things considered, Donovan overachieved. He helped Josh Giddey recover his best form, hid Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic on defense to a degree, and did a solid job of developing Matas Buzelis. More importantly, he cared about winning, and that was evident from day one.
At the end of the day, it was time for a change. This team was long overdue for a major overhaul, which, at least, included the two architects of this disaster. It was hard to believe they could've done worse than Gar Forman and John Paxson, but here we are.
Coach Donovan could land almost every job he wanted in college, but this bittersweet taste might only motivate him to stay in the pros. The Magic's roster is flawed and overpriced, but they have multiple potential stars to build around and a gritty defensive identity. Both of those things could be appealing.
Donovan infamously backed down from his agreement with the Magic the first time around, and it worked out pretty well for him. Now, he'll have a chance to redeem himself with that organization and in the NBA, all while the Bulls continue to be stuck in limbo.
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