Bulls’ Power Struggle? How Billy Donovan Could Be Forcing Karnisovas Out
Going into the final stretch of the regular season, the Chicago Bulls are at a crossroads. They finally have enough cap space to make serious runs at help in free agency while also possessing what should at least be a top 10 pick in the draft. The obvious uncertainty is who will be in charge of all these resources. Reports have indicated VP of Basketball Operations Arturas Karnisovas is in serious trouble. The Reinsdorfs are seriously considering a sweeping change to the front office. Most assume that would also mean head coach Billy Donovan would be gone as well, coveted as he is by college programs.
However, nothing is ever that simple with this organization. NBA insider Marc Stein has revealed there might be a significant power struggle going on inside the building. As Karnisovas’ standing seems to be crumbling, there is a belief inside the league that the Bulls wish to retain Donovan as head coach. After enduring years of coaching turnover, the Reinsdorfs wish to maintain stability at the position and have a tremendous amount of respect for the 60-year-old.
“League sources say pressure is mounting on Bulls executive vice president Artūras Karnišovas … with pivotal franchise meetings said to be held soon about the direction of the franchise and whether Karnišovas will be retained after what will be etched on Basketball Reference as the eighth time in the past nine seasons that Chicago has missed the playoffs.
This is Karnišovas’ sixth season as the Bulls’ lead decision-maker. It’s also Billy Donovan’s sixth season as Chicago’s coach.
Yet it’s believed that the Bulls, despite only one playoff appearance in that span, still hope to retain Donovan. Remember that they firmly rejected the Knicks’ request to interview the two-time NCAA titleist at Florida for New York’s coaching vacancy after Tom Thibodeau’s dismissal last June.”
Billy Donovan is reluctant to leave the NBA.
This was alluded to by Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times. He feels there is unfinished business at this level. Remember, he’s already won two national championships in college. There isn’t much left to accomplish there. It was why Donovan came to the NBA in the first place. It was a new challenge. After years of flirting with a potential NBA championship in Oklahoma City, he came to Chicago hoping to reverse their fortunes. Sadly, that hasn’t happened. He has just one playoff trip in six seasons.
Yet an argument could be made that it wasn’t really his fault. Karnisovas never put a quality enough roster on the floor, relying on a series of role players trying to masquerade as stars like Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan. Meanwhile, Karnisovas has willingly unloaded promising young players like Lauri Markkanen and Ayo Dosunmu, and they have since thrived elsewhere. Donovan’s endgame might be clearer than ever.
Get Karnisovas out and bring in a front office that better aligns with the head coach’s vision. It would be an unprecedented power play.
So who might Donovan want if it goes that way?
Sam Presti, the top executive of the world champion Oklahoma City Thunder, has a close relationship with the head coach. However, he’s not going anywhere. That said, the same shouldn’t be said of Oliver Winterbone. He is the Thunder’s current director of player development and was a member of Donovan’s staff in Florida. Another name to watch would be Daniel Starkman. The current Manager of Basketball Information and scouting coordinator for the Atlanta Hawks was a manager at Florida during Donovan’s final years there.
On the other hand, if Billy Donovan is smart, he would push the Bulls to hire Bob Myers, the architect of the Golden State Warriors dynasty. If anyone can make great use of the organization’s resources, it would be him. The obvious question is whether he’d be open to Donovan as the head coach. Clarity on all of this should come within the next two weeks. North Carolina is expected to make a determined push to lure Donovan back to the college ranks. If that doesn’t happen, it could signal what the Bulls plan to do.