Chicago Finally Committed To A Rebuild — Not Everyone May Be On Board

Arturas Karnisovas finally bit the bullet and underwent a complete fire sale over the last five days. He committed to seven trades, shipped off several of the team’s longest-tenured players, got a flurry of expiring contracts out of the picture, and added a surplus of late-round draft capital. As many in the fanbase have expressed, looking back on the last five years of assets and what he could’ve traded these players for in previous years is a painful experience. In the end, the Bulls added zero first-round picks or genuine blue-chip talents at the cutoff, but did reshape the entire roster. A growing theory in the buzz surrounding the team might carry value down the road and is worth keeping a watchful eye on.

Billy Donovan Might Be Next To Go

Chicago is fully committed to no longer trying to win in the immediate future. By sending off Nikola Vucevic, Coby White, and Ayo Dosunmu, they shipped off three of their most win-now assets for minimal returns. This was a full admission to ditching the current trajectory and starting fresh. One has to begin to wonder, given that Donovan has never been a fan of rebuilds, if he sticks around to see the project through.

Back in 2020, when the former Florida Gators head coach decided to leave the Oklahoma City Thunder after mutually agreeing that parting ways was the best option for both sides, their general manager, Sam Presti, specified that his inability to give a clear picture to Donovan regarding the immediate future was a significant factor in his decision. In simpler terms, he was uninterested in guiding a rebuild. There’s now an ascending curiosity of whether or not he’ll feel the same way in Chicago.

Billy Donovan left OKC when they couldn’t promise the team would be competitive. Six years later, the Bulls are tearing this thing down, and it does not look much prettier.

— Joel Lorenzi (@JoelXLorenzi) February 5, 2026

One Potential Replacement Already Rumored

According to a Hoop Herald report last week, Jon Scheyer is rumored to be linked to Chicago if they move on from Billy Donovan. While this report is in isolation and was curiously timed days before the entire roster was gutted for future assets, it’s an intriguing narrative. Donovan’s tenure with the Bulls has mirrored the failures of the front office, complete mediocrity. Many are surprised he’s been retained this long, and harp on him for the harsh treatment of young players such as Matas Buzelis, who is quickly benched for poor performances. Does Chicago and Donovan agree to go their separate ways?

Billy Donovan is the 3rd longest active tenured coach in the NBA.

Record with the Bulls: 195-205.

1 playoff appearance: lost in 5 games.

Jon Scheyer (Duke’s 38 year old coach) rumored to replace Billy this offseason if Bulls make a change. pic.twitter.com/w3JQCTVDCS

— Die-Hard Chicago Bulls Fans (@Bullsfans) February 1, 2026

Scheyer is in the business of player development, which would be a significant asset to the current roster and future outlook. With the youngest roster leaguewide after today’s cutoff, and over a dozen future draft picks at their disposal, they’re now wholeheartedly looking down the road instead of instant gratification.

Is Donovan willing to grind through a rebuild unlike he was in OKC, do the Bulls decide it’s time for a fresh voice in the locker room, or will these rumors go up in smoke and not materialize to anything?