Head coach Billy🔴 Donovan has reportedly found his new lead a🎐ssistant.
According to Wes Unseld Jr. has agreed to become Donovan’s new right-hand man. The announcement comes after the Chicago Bulls moved on from several assistant coaches following the conclusion of the 2023-24 season. The team let go of former lead assistant Chris Fleming, while Maurice Cheeks chose to move out of his bench coach rol💫e🍃.
News also broke later on that Josh Longstaff – who was seemingly in the running for a move up the Bulls’ coaching ranks – would leave the organization to join Charles Lee in Charlotte. Lee and Lon⛎gstaff previously worked together in Milwaukee.
Billy Donovan Wanted Experience
NBC Sports Chicago’s K.C. Johnson previously reported that Donovan wanted to . He got his wish.
Wes Unseld Jr. spent a little over two and a half seasons at the helm of the Washington Wizards. Joining the franchise in 2021-22, Unseld Jr. led the Wizards to 35 wins in each o🗹f his first two seasons. He then coached just 43 games during this most recent campaign before the team announced that he would transition to a front-office role. Brian Keefe took over as the interim head coach.
Overall, Unseld Jr. went just 77-130 during his first stint as a head coach. An ugly record? Absolutely. But it’s not like the Wizards gave him much to work with. The team had repeatedly struggled to build a competitive roster around Bradley Beal, and they ultimately decided to enter full tank mode last offseason. The moment they did that was the moment Unseld Jr.’s days felt numbered.
Before taking over the Wizards job, Unseld Jr. became one of the NBA’s top assistants with the Denver Nuggets. He spent six seasons with the reigning champions under Mike Malone. He had 16 years in total of assistant coaching experience between Washington, Golden State, Orlando, and Denver before landing the Washington gig.
For what it’s worth, Unseld Jr. was also rumored to be one of the Bulls’ top choices in their post-Jim Boylen coaching search. Things changed when Billy Donovan suddenly entered the mix, but Unseld Jr.’s previous relationship with Arturas Karnisovas had many thinking he could be the guy. With that in mind, it’s not hard to believe that the Bulls’ front office leader could’ve pushed for the decision now.
So is it a good hire? I’d say so. Even if his time in Washington didn’t go as planned, Unseld Jr. is one of the most experienced assistants in the league. He saw what winning looked like during his time in Denver, and he’s been praised for his defensive acumen in the past. While I worry that this kind of hire further suggests that the franchise will refuse to enter rebuild mode, a good coach is a good coach.
