Tomorrow, the Chicago Bulls will begin their hunt for the postseason. They'll tip off in the United Center on Wednesday night against the Detroit Pistons, seeking their first winning season since 2021. Oddsmakers give them only an 18% chance to end their four-year playoff drought, and estimate that Chicago will land between 32 and 33 wins. For Billy Donovan, another year of insecurity at the helm awaits. His ability to hold the position as long as he has is a mystery to many, but with a new wave of young players, it might be a make-or-break year for their fifth-year leader.
Ownership Is Content With Mediocrity
If Jerry Reinsdorf has proven one thing as an owner of two professional sports franchises, it is that money is more important than winning or the fans' morale. He is the majority owner of the Chicago White Sox and Chicago Bulls organizations. In 2024, the White Sox had one of the worst seasons in baseball history, tying for the fourth-fewest wins in a season since 1900, and the fifth-lowest winning percentage of all time. As evidenced by the minimal changes made during and after that season, Reinsdorf was solely worried about the bottom line. The Bulls have found themselves in a recent position in the last decade. With attendance and revenue being in the top three of the league each of the previous five seasons, there's no cause for action to change anything or drastically change the product between the lines.
The Bulls rank 7th in Franchise value. It makes you wonder if that affects their lackadaisical approach to building a contender since the D Rose era.
— Semaj Lrae 🏁 (@JimDeuces22) October 16, 2025
In Billy Donovan's case, specifically, it plays a significant role in why he still has a job. Only three other coaches have led the Bulls for 350 or more games in the franchise's history. Tom Thibodeau, an NBA Coach of the Year award winner with 51 postseason games in Chicago; Dick Motta, an NBA Coach of the Year award winner with 47 playoff games coached with the team, and Phil Jackson, an NBA Coach of the Year winner with six NBA titles and 152 playoff games with the organization. Donovan's track record? Zero NBA Coach of the Year honors and five playoff games. He also had the worst winning percentage, .488, in the group.
Sportsbooks Don't Predict A Midseason Firing
Due to Donovan's "multi-year extension" before last season, many sportsbooks and analysts don't see him as a top candidate for getting canned midseason. Oddsmakers give him the 14th-highest odds to be the first coach fired in 2025, and CBS Sports ranks him 19th amongst the league's head coaches. Combining the consensus odds and the patterns of Reinsdorf being unaffected by the team's lack of success as long as the profit remains, Donovan will likely remain in charge for yet another mediocre season.
Keep Billy Donovan as far away as possible from Matas Buzelis.
— Die-Hard Chicago Bulls Fans (@DieHardCBfans) February 12, 2025
He already FAILED to develop Patrick Williams & Dalen Terry. He turned both 1st round picks into trash.
Matas Buzelis is too good to risk having his development screwed up. Fire Billy ASAP pic.twitter.com/bgl5hq6EwS
As long as the Chicago Bulls remain the consistent financial powerhouse they have been since the Michael Jordan era, don't expect any dramatic changes within the organization, including the longest-tenured below-average coach in the franchise's illustrious history.
