Matas Buzelis pays tribute to Billy Donovan after exit

As rumors swirled about what lay ahead for Donovan, Buzelis, and Josh Giddey had expressed a strong desire for Donovan to remain—essentially, saying that Donovan is an instrumental figure in his career.

“I want him to stay,” Buzelis said, per Marc Stein of The Stein Report. “I’m riding with him forever. He’s a cornerstone for my career.”

Donovan was the only coach that Buzelis had ever known. Buzelis has just completed his second full season in Chicago, averaging 16.3 points and 5.8 rebounds per game. From a development standpoint, Donovan has strengths. He developed Buzelis, Coby White, and Ayo Dosunmu into promising NBA talents.

Meanwhile, Chicago finished the season at 31-51.

In 2020, Donovan became the head coach, while Karnisovas and Eversley were brought into the front office. Over the course of six seasons, Donovan compiled a record of 226–256 as Bulls head coach.

Along the way, he led them to one winning season during the 2021-22 season. That year, the Bulls finished with a 46-36 record. Ultimately, they lost to the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round in five games.

From there, the Bulls went through a period of rapid inconsistency, injuries, and roster turnover.