DALLAS — Emotions and relationships have always carried weight for Bulls coach Billy Donovan, from his earliest days as an assistant coach under mentor Rick Pitino at Kentucky some 37 years ago through a long and decorated career that includes two national titles at Florida and a spot in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.
So when his current Bulls players let him know how much he has meant to their careers and how they’d like him to stay, it hits home.
Forward Matas Buzelis, 21, was one such voice, reaching out by phone last week in the wake of the Bulls’ front-office firings as rumors of Donovan walking away grew stronger.
“I appreciate it, and I love Matas, love all the guys,” Donovan said. “[He and I have] had a great relationship. I think it’s pretty well-documented that I’ve pushed him pretty hard. He needs that and wants that.
“We had a good conversation, we talked, and I want to see him continue to grow and develop.”
As his coach, or from a distance? That continued to be the question as Donovan met with players and staff Monday to wrap up their 31-51 season. He’s expected to meet with Bulls owners Michael and Jerry Reinsdorf at some point this week.
It’s an emotional time for Donovan, who has made emotional decisions before that haven’t worked out well. Most famously, he accepted an offer to jump to the NBA to coach the Magic in 2007, initially feeling it was the right climb to make. Then he slept on it and knew it wasn’t. He backed out and returned to Florida, where he stayed for another eight years.
His Bulls decision may be more of a numbers game. Currently ninth in the draft order based on record, the Bulls have a 4.5% chance to win the No. 1 pick in the draft lottery next month and a 20.3% chance to win a pick in the top four. If the Trail Blazers get past the play-in tournament this month, the Bulls will get their first-round pick as well — in a year with a loaded draft class. They also have up to nine free agents and an NBA-best $63 million in salary-cap space to play with.
However, even if everything goes their way, Donovan knows it won’t be a quick fix. The Bulls could get two first-round picks and land major talents with both. They could use their cap room to add a defensive-minded rim protector. Buzelis could continue to improve toward All-Star status. Forward Noa Essengue, who missed most of his rookie season after shoulder surgery, could emerge as the two-way talent the old front office thought he was. And still it might be a few more seasons before Donovan could have the team really winning.
Does he see the Bulls choosing the right path and building something with staying power sooner rather than later?
“I think Michael [Reinsdorf] said he wants to build something that’s sustainable, and I agree with that,” Donovan said. “It has to be something that’s going to be long-term, where you’re getting as many cracks at the apple in the playoffs [as possible] and try to advance and move on.
“What’s the exact way to go about doing that? Some of this stuff could end up changing in May [when the NBA votes on anti-tanking measures], with people [currently] trying to go through the draft and go that way, go through it three or four years, try and get good young talent, grow together.
“You have to try and build something for sustained success, and I’m not the smartest guy in the room to say, ‘This is the way you go about doing it.’ This is what these conversations are.”
If the Reinsdorfs can convince Donovan the focus is on the business of winning and not just the business, there’s a good chance he could be back for a seventh season. If the plan is vague or priorities don’t match, the first project for the Bulls’ new front office might be a coaching search.
In any case, don’t expect Donovan’s decision to drag on for weeks. He doesn’t have his eyes on another job, he said, and he doesn’t want to put the Bulls — or himself — through unnecessary drama. Friends and family won’t influence his decision, he noted.
The kind words he has heard from ownership and players might not, either, as much as he appreciates them.
Ultimately, this call is his and his alone.
