Chicago Bulls HC Billy Donovan pessimistic on team outlook

Originally posted on ChiCitySports | By Jordan Sigler | Last updated Feb 10, 2026 6:16 PM ET

The Chicago Bulls entered the trade deadline with the No. 9 spot in the Eastern Conference.

The Bulls, now on a five-game losing streak, are in 11th place with a 24-30 record amid losing Coby White, Nikola Vucevic and Ayo Dosunmu.

On Monday, the new-look Bulls were beaten 123-115 by a 15-37 Brooklyn Nets team.

The roster is perfect for a spring tank job, but Bulls head coach Billy Donovan has to try and take care of the players in the locker room and help the team develop the best they can in an adverse situation.

Per Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times, Donovan is pessimistic that his new rotation will “hit the wall” as fatigue starts to set in with the extra minutes former role players will have with more minutes on the floor.

“I do think this group is going to hit the wall,” Donovan said. “Coming out of the All-Star break, what those last 27 games are going to look like for us physically is going to be a big factor.”

The Chicago Bulls have a new focus

Apr 16, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA;Chicago Bulls head coach Billy Donovan gestures during the first quarter of a game against the Miami Heat at United Center. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images

Donovan is trying to get his roster to focus on development while Bulls fans vent their frustrations with the brutal way that the front office handled trading several starters without receiving even a first-round pick in return.

“I’ve tried to talk to them about what our focus is and what our direction needs to be inside our team,” Donovan said. “There are guys with expiring contracts, some guys that want to play, so we’ve got to help each other, go out there and compete… so I’ve tried to redirect their focus onto that: ‘What do we got to do to get better as a team?’

“I can see people on the outside, ‘Are they really trying to win? What’s with this group? . . . Who is going to be back? Who isn’t going to be back? Maybe these guys are auditioning, [or] they really don’t care.’ I still think, inside that locker room, these guys are professionals.” The Bulls will have another emotional game to play on Wednesday night. Chicago will travel to play the Boston Celtics and former center Nikola Vucevic.

This article first appeared on ChiCitySports and was syndicated with permission.

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