The former Chicago Bulls coach eyes a return to the Orlando Magic with a built roster and postseason potential.
As a Hall-of-Famer, Billy Donovan spent much of his tenure in Chicago fielding rumors about a return to college coaching. Now that he stepped away from the Bulls, his next stop might not be far from the hardwood after all.
Per The Stein Line's Jake Fischer, Donovan's name surfaced in the Orlando Magic's coaching search. A source told Fischer that the former Bulls coach is in conversation with Magic president Jeff Weltman, with an in-person meeting expected to be scheduled soon. Fischer described Donovan as having "an excellent shot" at the vacancy.
The timing makes sense for both sides. Orlando finished the regular season 45-37 and earned a playoff berth by surviving the Play-In Tournament, then pushed the Detroit Pistons to a Game 7 in the first round. Despite that competitive showing, the organization moved on from coach Jamahl Mosley, who was later hired by the New Orleans Pelicans, and is now searching for the right voice to take a talented young roster deeper into the postseason.
Despite a mediocre NBA coaching profile, Donovan could be a right fit for what Orlando is building. His skills of maintaining good relationships with players are widely regarded as among the best in the league, and the Magic already have the foundation in place, featuring Paolo Banchero, Desmond Bane and the Wagner brothers, giving whoever takes the job legitimate star power to work with.
Donovan's ability to manage egos and develop younger players — the same qualities Matas Buzelis and Josh Giddey benefited from in Chicago — could also translate to a roster with already-built talent and playoff pedigree.
Donovan concluded his six-year tenure in Chicago with only one playoff appearance and multiple Play-In failures. He stepped away from the franchise last month after the Bulls finished 31-51, the worst in Donovan's stint.
Personally, Donovan has also gone through a tough year after his father and mother-in-law passed away during the season.
Fischer also reported that the Magic have Los Angeles Clippers assistant Jeff Van Gundy on their radar as well, suggesting the search is still in its early stages.
Meanwhile, the Bulls had also begun their ongoing coaching search after formally building out their front office with Steven Mervis as SVP of Basketball Operations and Acie Law as VP of Player Personnel. Names like the Bulls assistant Wes Unseld Jr., Micah Nori, Dave Bliss, James Borrego and Tiago Splitter are all mentioned in Chicago's radar, per Fischer.
With a No. 4 pick, a No. 15 and two second-rounders heading into the 2026 NBA Draft, the team's EVP Bryson Graham has plenty of offseason business to conduct.
