The Chicago Bulls target a renowned player development guru.
The Chicago Bulls were reportedly casted a wide net in everything — front office recruiting and coaching search. After figuring out the former, the net is getting wider in the latter.
According to ESPN senior NBA reporter Marc Spears, the Bulls have added Cleveland Cavaliers associate head coach Johnnie Bryant to their coaching search targets. Spears reported that the team has already received permission to interview him.
Bryant's profile fits squarely into the mold that Bryson Graham has been targeting: an accomplished assistant from a winning organization with a genuine appetite for his first head-coaching job.
Born in Oakland, Calif., Bryant played college basketball at the University of Utah after beginning at City College of San Francisco, earning dual degrees in human development and sports management. After going undrafted in 2007, he kick-started his coaching career in 2012 and has already accumulated a variety of experiences.
Bryant started coaching at the Bryant Sports Academy, a skill development program through which he worked with athletes of all ages, including former NBA player Paul Millsap and the Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard.
After the first two years as a player development assistant at the Utah Jazz, Bryant was promoted in 2014 as an assistant under then-head coach Quinn Snyder. During six seasons he spent in Utah, he formed a close relationship with a young Donovan Mitchell, who currently works with him in Cleveland.
Oct 26, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) speaks to Cleveland Cavaliers associate head coach Johnnie Bryant during a time out in the third quarter against the Washington Wizards at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Reggie Hildred-Imagn ImagesIn 2020, he joined Tom Thibodeau's crew in the New York Knicks, earning recognition as a "player development guru" who helped reshape the Knicks' culture during their rise back to playoff relevance. He then arrived in Cleveland in 2024 under Kenny Atkinson, continuing his work with Mitchell. Working under Kenny Atkinson, he helped guide the team to the Eastern Conference Finals this season before being swept by the New York Knicks.
Bryant was also a finalist for the Phoenix Suns head coaching job in 2025, before the team turned the position over to his fellow Cavaliers assistant Jordan Ott.
Bryant joins a growing list of candidates that includes Sean Sweeney, Micah Nori, David Bliss, Lamar Skeeter, Wes Unseld Jr., James Borrego and Tiago Splitter — though Splitter remains under contract with the Trail Blazers.
The Bulls' approach to the coaching search has been established and intentional, targeting assistants under head coaches in elite teams in the league. With a No. 4 pick, significant cap space and a roster built with young cores like Matas Buzelis and Josh Giddey, whoever takes the Bulls job inherits real upside for the future growth.
