Cavaliers Assistant Named as Potential Option For Bulls Head Coach Opening
The Chicago Bulls are starting fresh with new front office members and a new head coach.
The Bulls have already focused in on San Antonio's Sean Sweeney, Minnesota's Micah Nori, Oklahoma City's Dave Bliss, Miami's Chris Quinn and Charlotte's Lamar Skeeter as potential first-time coaches, and each of them are highly regarded as an assistant across the league.
And, another name has surfaced as a possible candidate: Cleveland Cavaliers coach Johnnie Bryant, according to Michael Scotto of Hoops Hype.
"Furthermore, Cleveland Cavaliers associate head coach Johnnie Bryant is a potential candidate being considered for Chicago's head coaching position, league sources told HoopsHype. Bryant was a finalist for Phoenix's head coaching job before Jordan Ott was ultimately hired," Scotto wrote.
Bryant was an assistant with the Utah Jazz from 2014 until 2020, then he spent time with the New York Knicks from 2020 to 2024 before going to Cleveland.
Bulls Also Exploring Veteran Coaches for the Job
Replacing Donovan is not going to be easy, and while the Bulls are interviewing plenty of first-time head coaches, some veterans are also garnering interest.
Those names include Jerry Stackhouse, as well as Portland Trail Blazers interim coach Tiago Splitter.
Other veterans have also been linked to Chicago, according to Scotto.
"Others with NBA head coaching experience, such as Wes Unseld Jr. and James Borrego, have been linked to the Chicago Bulls due to the team's organizational ties," Scotto wrote.
Unseld was an assistant under Donovan in Chicago, although with some new members of the front office, that might not be much of an advantage during the process.
Splitter is also reportedly one of the finalists for the Blazers job, so there is a chance he stays in Portland.
All in all, the Bulls are casting a wide net. In the end, Scotto says there is a "strong chance" that Chicago hires a first-time head coach, although the path to a playoff berth is not easy, given plenty of questions with the roster and the immediate future of the team.
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This story was originally published May 25, 2026 at 10:28 AM.