Why did the Chicago Bulls’ front office decide to shake up the team’s coaching staff?

Few thought that the focus of an overhaul would start with Chicago head coach Billy Donovan’s bench of assistant coaches.

Why did the Chicago Bulls’ front office decide to shake up the team’s coaching staff? Chicago GM Arturas Karnisovas made it clear that change was coming to the organization after a lack of moves doomed yet another NBA season for the Bulls at the start of the 2024 offseason.

But few people were thinking that the focus of that overhaul would start with Chicago head coach Billy Donovan’s bench of assistant coaches, instead expecting some veteran names from the Bulls roster to be on the move. Instead, we have seen Chris Fleming and Mo Cheeks get let go by the front office and the hiring of former Washington Wizards head coach Wes Unseld Jr. as an assistant, and former Los Angeles Clippers assistant Dan Craig as lead assistant.

The hosts of the NBC Sports Boston “Bulls Talk” podcast recently weighed in on why this was the case.

Take a look at the clip embedded above to hear what they had to say.

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Chicago Bulls hire Dan Craig as a lead assistant under Billy Donovan

Craig has also been an assistant with the Miami Heat at the NBA level and the Sioux Falls Sky Force at the G League level.

The Chicago Bulls‘ front office seems to be making good on the promises they made to reshape the ball club after a disappointing 2023-24 regular season. Most recently in that vein, the Bulls have made a new hire to add to Chicago head coach Billy Donovan‘s bench of assistant coaches, and an associate coach at that.

That new assistant joining the Bulls for the NBA’s 2024-25 season is none other than former Los Angeles Clippers Associate coach Dan Craig, who elected to decamp from L.A. to ply his trade in the Windy City. Craig has also been an assistant with the Miami Heat at the NBA level and the Sioux Falls Sky Force at the G League level.

The hosts of the “Locked On Bulls” podcast, Haize and Pat the Designer, took a closer look at the higher and what it means for Chicago moving forward. Check it out for yourself in the clip embedded below!

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Bulls talking to several assistants

The Chicago Bulls were granted permission to speak with several assistants for the franchise’s head coaching job and interviews with candidates are well underway, sources told ESPN. No permission was necessary for former Brooklyn Nets coach Kenny Atkinson to interview, but new executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas and general manager Marc Eversley are talking to several assistant coaches still involved in the playoffs, including Milwaukee’s Darvin Ham, Denver’s Wes Unseld Jr. and Miami’s Dan Craig, sources said.