Billy Donovan's future with the Chicago Bulls is unclear, and despite an underwhelming six-year tenure with the team, things might end on his terms. Donovan is reportedly one of the front-runners for North Carolina's open head coaching spot. Before landing a job with the Oklahoma City Thunder a decade ago, Donovan was a fantastic college coach with Florida, so switching back to the collegiate level might be in his best interest.
Furthermore, even before UNC officially fired Hubert Davis, it was reported that Donovan might step away from his position with the Bulls and at the trade deadline, Chicago showed that it's finally ready to commit to a rebuild.
With that in mind, here are a few names that I'd like to see guide this new era of Bulls basketball.
Sam Cassell
Honestly, I'm surprised that Sam Cassell hasn't landed a head coaching gig yet. Since he retired from a stellar 15-year playing career in 2008, Cassell has been an assistant coach, and he has interviewed for numerous head coaching positions. For the past three years, he's worked alongside Joe Mazzulla on the Boston Celtics staff.
If you're looking to steal an assistant from a team, the Celtics would be one of the best teams to look at. Mazzulla runs the best system in the NBA, and implementing something similar would benefit the Bulls. Charles Lee's success with the Charlotte Hornets is evidence of this.
Cassell's experience as a player also makes him extremely relatable. All signs point to Cassell being an amazing coach, and the Bulls might be an ideal team for him.
Johnnie Bryant
40-year-old Johnnie Bryant might very well be the next wunderkind head coach. Bryant was a finalist for the Phoenix Suns and New York Knicks jobs last summer. For the past two seasons, Bryant has served as the lead assistant for Kenny Atkinson with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Phoenix has had a considerable amount of success with Jordan Ott this season, another member of Atkinson's staff.
Bryant's background and specialty are player development, which could make him perfect for the rebuilding Bulls. Overall, Bryant checks all of the boxes the Bulls should be looking for from their next coach.
Michael Malone
I'm typically in favor of rolling the dice on an assistant coach. However, there's no denying that hiring someone with experience is valuable, especially as young teams try to build some culture. Michael Malone is the most proven coach on the market, and frankly, it was somewhat surprising he didn't land a job last summer.
Malone helped guide the Denver Nuggets to a championship in 2023, and he knows what it takes to build a contender from the ground up. Notably, Denver won just 30 games before hiring Malone in 2015. Of course, having Nikola Jokić was the main factor in this ascension, but there's no doubt that Malone played a key role as well.
Bulls vice president of basketball operations Artūras Karnišovas was part of the Nuggets front office that hired Malone. As such, connecting the dots, Malone might be the most likely candidate if the Bulls' job does indeed open up.
Taylor Jenkins
Much like Malone, Taylor Jenkins was fired late last season but has a proven track record as a successful coach. Yes, he hasn't won at the highest level like Malone, but Jenkins is a fantastic developmental coach and floor raiser.
When Jenkins started with the Memphis Grizzlies, they were in the midst of a rebuild. However, he eventually guided them to two straight years as a top-three seed in the Western Conference. Jenkins could be the perfect coach to lead the Bulls on an accelerated rebuild, and he certainly deserves another head coaching opportunity.