Chicago Bulls head coach Billy Donovan became one of the focal points of the UNC Tar Heels men's basketball head coaching vacancy in recent weeks after the program was turned down by a number of high-level collegiate coaches, including Arizona's Tommy Lloyd.
The Tar Heels had also reached out to Boston Celtics executive Brad Stevens, who swiftly rejected any offer and made it clear that his focus is on remaining with the Celtics and competing for championships, league sources told ClutchPoints.
On Monday, Donovan's future and that of the Bulls took another turn when owner Jerry Reinsdorf and the franchise decided to part ways with EVP of Basketball Operations Arturas Karnisovas and general manager Marc Eversley.
Speculation around the league about changes in Chicago being on the horizon had grown rapidly in the week leading up to these major front-office decisions, as sources told ClutchPoints that change appeared inevitable for the organization.
Under Karnisovas' leadership, the Bulls went just 224-254 overall, making the playoffs just once and failing to make the postseason each of the last four seasons, including the current 2025-26 season. It became clear that change was necessary to try to drag the organization out of the depths of the Eastern Conference, which is why Karnisovas and Eversley were relieved of their duties on Monday.
But this is yet further clarity as to why Donovan was seriously considering the UNC job in the first place.
How UNC hiring Michael Malone impacts Billy Donovan, Bulls
In the days leading up to Karnisovas and Eversley being fired, sources said Donovan had made it clear to the Tar Heels' leadership that he was committed to finishing the 2025-26 season with the Bulls before making a final decision on his future. Even so, there was a growing expectation among league personnel that Donovan was leaning toward leaving Chicago.
However, the Tar Heels wanted a firm answer immediately after striking out on Arizona head coach Tommy Lloyd and Michigan head coach Dusty May, both of whom were coaching this weekend at the Final Four in Indianapolis. With the college basketball transfer portal opening on Tuesday, UNC wanted to cement a high-profile coach as the face of their program immediately.
Conversations with Malone and his representation gained significant traction during the weekend of the Final Four, and the former Denver Nuggets coach expressed true interest for the first time in pursuing this opportunity at one of the most historic collegiate programs in the country, sources said.
Malone was expected to have several NBA coaching offers this upcoming offseason. Sources said the New Orleans Pelicans and Orlando Magic, who are said to be monitoring Jamahl Mosley's status closely, were two teams most notably mentioned as suitors for Malone.
So now the question in Chicago becomes whether Donovan, who no longer has UNC as an option this offseason, will be back on the sidelines for the Bulls for the 2026-27 season.
From Reinsdorf's perspective and that of the organization, their hope is that Donovan will continue coaching. At the same time, the franchise and its leadership are aware of Donovan's growing frustration. That was one of the main motivating factors in the dismissal of Karnisovas and Eversley.
Despite the changes and missing out on the UNC job, sources told ClutchPoints that Donovan remains fully committed to finishing this season with the Bulls before having discussions with Reinsdorf and other prominent leaders of the organization about his future.
Should Donovan decide he no longer wants to coach, the Bulls will attempt to keep him around in some sort of elevated role, a similar practice we've seen with organizations in recent years by elevating their head coach to a front-office or advisory role.
A route similar to Stevens' in Boston, where he became the team's head of basketball operations, is certainly an option for Donovan in Chicago.
At this point, the waiting game will ensue for the Bulls regarding Donovan entering the final week of the 2025-26 season. With plenty of cap space and a projected top-10 pick in a loaded 2026 NBA Draft class, the Bulls will have several avenues to immediately improve their roster around Josh Giddey and Matas Buzelis.
Whether Donovan wants to remain with the Bulls on the sidelines or in an elevated role with the franchise will be answered in the coming weeks.
