Billy Donovan is not above playing the role of diplomat.
The Bulls coach again proved that, jumping on a plane earlier this month to do his annual offseason check-in with his players, and according to a source, coming out of his time with disgruntled guard Zach LaVine with pieces of the once-burnt bridge actually repaired.
Not all the way, obviously, but enough that the two can at least work together for the time being. Call it progress made in a relationship that still remains volatile.
But diplomat isn’t the only role that Donovan will have to take on as fall camp nears. He better be well versed in the art of juggling.
Almost lost in all the talk of executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas pivoting to a youth movement is the fact that Donovan is going to be left with a mess of a rotation to figure out. Not only with a starting unit, but his bench.
Of course, all of this can change if Karnisovas can move LaVine or center Nikola Vucevic – two moves he continues actively pursuing – but with very few landing spots left, Karnisovas is running out of time.
That means a lot will fall on Donovan.
First there’s the starters. As is, LaVine and newly acquired Josh Giddey are musts in the backcourt. Karnisovas didn’t just give Alex Caruso away to the Thunder for Giddey not to be the primary ball-handler/play-maker on the starting unit.
So why LaVine? Well, why showcase a used car in the front of the lot?
Because so much with LaVine has been botched over the years, the Bulls must do everything they can to change the narrative around the two-time All-Star and rebuild his value in the eyes of the market.
That’s why Donovan had to make sure LaVine and the organization can continue to coexist, while also explaining to him that balling out from Day 1 of the 2024-25 campaign is the quickest ticket to getting elsewhere.
The head scratcher in the backcourt puzzle? What to do with Coby White?
White has done everything right the last few seasons, going from questionable first-round draft pick to finishing second in the NBA’s Most Improved Player Award last year. And a lot of it was work he did on his own.
To now tell him he’s back to a bench role is a complete slap in the face, especially since he represents the immediate future.
That makes White a third starter, and also puts the Bulls in a real quandary on the defensive end. LaVine and White are both below average defenders, and while Giddey insisted that he wanted to make significant improvements on the defensive end when the Bulls acquired him, talk is cheap for now.
Because of his size, Giddey will likely be forced to defend bigger wings, and that’s why Patrick Williams is a must to start. He will be the best – and seemingly only – quality defender in the group.
And while some Bulls fans won’t like it, Vucevic remains the obvious starter in the middle.
Where it will get interesting for Donovan is the bench, with rookie Matas Buzelis, guard Ayo Dosunmu, and free-agent acquisition Jalen Smith the only must-plays.
Because Donovan rarely goes to a 10-man rotation, that means youngsters Dalen Terry and Julian Phillips fighting for minutes and development for really only one spot. That also means some difficult conversations for veterans Jevon Carter and Torrey Craig on what will likely be frequent DNPs (Did Not Play) Coach’s Decision.
Then there’s the wildcard in all of this in Lonzo Ball.
The guard last played an NBA game on Jan. 14, 2022. He is scheduled to begin five-on-five full-contact scrimmages this month, attempting to come back from a left knee procedure that no professional athlete has ever returned from.
If he’s successful, what would that do to the rotation? He would never start because of uncertainty and minutes restrictions, but he could take valuable playing time away from Dosunmu and the mix of Terry and Phillips.
A lot of objects in the air, and Donovan better be prepared to juggle all of them.