Michael Reinsdorf has a very solid business background.
That’s about to be tested for the Bulls’ president and CEO because he needs to put together the sales pitch of all sales pitches next week.
First things first, as Reinsdorf started the house cleaning on Monday afternoon, in the wake of another disappointing season on the court and an embarrassing one off of it, with the team announcing that both executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas and general manager Marc Everlsey were fired from their posts.
That cleared the runway for a scheduled sit down with Reinsdorf and Bulls coach Billy Donovan with the top priority to keep Donovan in the organization at almost any cost. Not only does Donovan become Priority No. 1a and 1b as the coach, but if that includes allowing Donovan to help build out the new front office or even add a front office title to his, so be it.
Former Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau was named president of basketball operations/coach for the Timberwolves back in 2016, so a scenario like that has precedent.
What didn’t have precedent was Bulls ownership actually ridding themselves of a front office that still had multiple-year contracts and hadn’t even gotten to the end of this season.
Not that it came as a surprise, however.
The Sun-Times first reported back in December that the heat was being turned up on Karnisovas and Eversley heading into the February trade deadline. A source said that ownership was underwhelmed with that pivot, hoping for a clearer direction.
That put the crack in the ice.
The Jaden Ivey fiasco where he referred to the NBA’s promotion of the LGBTQ+ community as the “unrighteousness,” as well as the distraction he was in his short time in the locker room, well, that collapsed the ice.
After six plus seasons, Reinsdorf felt like enough was enough, informing the two late Monday morning.
“Arturas and Marc have led with a deep commitment to the Chicago Bulls,” Reinsdorf said in a statement. “These decisions are never easy, especially when they involve people we respect both personally and professionally. We are grateful for their dedication and the work they’ve put in over the past six years. At the same time, we have not had the success our fans deserve, and it’s my responsibility to go in a new direction. This move is about positioning our team for sustained success moving ahead.
“I want our fans to know that I hear you and understand your frustration. I feel it as well. I know this will take time, and I am fully committed to getting this right. At the Chicago Bulls, our focus remains on building a team that can compete at the highest level and ultimately contend for championships. We are committed to taking the necessary steps to move the Bulls forward in a way that makes our fans proud.”
That starts with figuring out Donovan’s future.
A big domino also fell on Monday, as news broke that longtime Denver Nuggets coach Michael Malone was going to fill the vacancy at blue blood North Carolina.
And while indirectly it affected the Bulls, the big picture didn’t change. The Bulls remained a fragile house of cards waiting to see if the breeze would pick up.
A source reiterated that Donovan was heavily pursued by UNC the last 48 hours through back channels but made it very clear to them that he would not officially discuss anything until the Bulls season ended. The Tar Heels were up against it, however, with the college transfer portal opening up Tuesday.
All along, the Sun-Times was reporting that Donovan still wanted to coach but was losing faith in his front office in putting a competitive plan out there.
So while it felt like he was 90% gone – opting to sit out a season or seek permission from the Bulls to take another NBA job — those percentages obviously changed with a new front office coming in or Donovan himself having a bigger say in personnel decisions.
That doesn’t mean it’s a done deal.
There is a scenario in which the Bulls fired the front office but still lose Donovan. That’s where Michael Reinsdorf comes in, looking to avoid that and keep Donovan in the mix in whatever capacity he feels comfortable.
But what if the coach does want a change of scenery, seeking permission to go to Orlando if that coaching job opens up?
Then the Bulls start from scratch, needing to first address the front office and allow them to hire the next coach.
What Reinsdorf does have on his side is a lottery draft pick this season, future draft assets, and the moist cap space in the NBA for this offseason. If Portland can get out of the play-in and make the Western Conference playoffs, the Bulls would also have the Trail Blazers’ first-round pick for ’26. Very attractive pieces.
The draft lottery takes place on May 10, so whatever happens next week won’t give Michael Reinsdorf a lot of time to mess around.
A name to pay attention to if Donovan leaves and the front office has to be attended to first? Former Raptors executive Masai Ujiri. A source said former Bulls forward Luol Deng has thrown Masai’s name out there several times this season, and it would involve Deng moving into a general manager role with the team.
An interesting scenario, but one that Reinsdorf wasn’t ready to start addressing yet.
The Bulls end the regular season Sunday in Dallas. The Donovan-Reinsdorf meeting is expected to take place the following day.
Everything will be put on the table, including the ball that will sit in Donovan’s court.
Holy sports meltdown, Chicago.
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It’s a numbers game for the Bulls as the season winds down, and they moved closer to cementing the No. 9 spot in the draft lottery with their seventh loss in a row Sunday.
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Executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas is scheduled to meet with the media when the regular season ends. Will he even be in his post by then? And what about coach Billy Donovan?
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