Although embattled former Chicago Bulls team president Arturas Karnisovas and general manager Marc Eversley get most of the blame for their horrific team era from 2020-26, is it possible that since-departed head coach Billy Donovan is a bit culpable, too?
Meanwhile, a new Chicago Sky star continues to make strides from a season-ending surgery, while a former Bulls standout recounts his first on-court clash with a certain Hall of Fame center.
Here are today’s Bulls Bullets.
Bulls Bullets — August 29, 2026
Los Angeles Lakers center Shaquille O’Neal. Mandatory Credit: US PRESSWIRE Billy Donovan may have been the problem for the AKME Bulls a bit more than Chicago fans realize. During a new interview on Hall of Famers Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady’s podcast Cousins, third-year small forward Matas Buzelis alleged that Donovan and his coaching staff didn’t permit him to shoot from the midrange, limiting him instead to the most efficient areas on the court: beyond the 3-point line and near the rim. Let’s hope Tiago Splitter modernizes things. The Ringer‘s Danny Chau ranks the former lottery pick among the six players poised for breakout seasons in 2026-27."I wasn't allowed to shoot the midrange [jumper] my first two years… The only two guys technically who are allowed to shoot the midrange are Shai and Kevin Durant, because they are above league average."Matas Buzelis was not allowed to shoot the middy his first two years in… pic.twitter.com/mASFA5FaeS
— Cousins with Vince Carter & Tracy McGrady (@VinceAndTmac) August 24, 2026“I wasn’t allowed to shoot the midrange [jumper] my first two years,” Buzelis said. “The only two guys technically who are allowed to shoot the midrange are Shai and Kevin Durant, because they are above league average.”
Former Bulls lottery pick Eddy Curry never quite became the superstar his “Baby Shaq” nickname and high draft pedigree (he was selected at No. 4) suggested he could have been — although he did enjoy a lucrative, 11-year NBA career nevertheless. He and Chicago parted ways in a bitter divorce during the 2006 offseason, but apparently he and the Bulls have made up. Curry was on hand for Bulls Fest earlier this month, and he even sat with Chicago Sports Network’s K.C. Johnson and Camron Smith for an episode of their By The Horns podcast. Curry regaled Johnson and Smith with an anecdote about his first meeting with Shaquille O’Neal himself. The Big Diesel was then in his prime with the Los Angeles Lakers, and en route to win a third straight title during Curry’s debut season in Chicago. It turns out O’Neal watched the TV documentary series covering the adventures of Curry and four other elite high school hooper,s “Preps: Chicago Hoops.”When Baby Shaq met actual Shaq ?Listen to a new episode of By The Horns – presented by @DriveToyota – with @KCJHoop, @camronsmith & special guest Eddy Curry?: t.co/LvrOmkIDKP pic.twitter.com/wuYDfr2lUh
— Bulls on CHSN (@CHSN_Bulls) August 26, 2026“I remember the first time I saw him, I’m laying there getting stretched on the court, and I’m just watching him. I find myself just watching him,” Curry said. “He’s like, ‘Big fella, I used to watch your show in high school. That was my favorite show.’ … “He’s like, ‘You’ll never have a problem with me, I’ll never try to embarass you.’ And he never did! You’ll never see a highlight of Shaq dunking on me. I think it was mutual also, I would always make sure I wouldn’t do anything to try to make him hit that switch, because I would always give him that respect.”
Despite missing the playoffs for a third straight season, the Chicago Sky are miss out on a top draft pick yet again thanks to general manager Jeff Pagliocca having offloaded the club’s next two (!) lottery selections. Pagliocca already ditched the team’s lottery picks in both 2025 and ’26, which resulted in All-Stars Sonia Citron and Olivia Miles improving the fortunes of other teams. Why this guy still has is job is a mystery to all of us. A pair of new Sky arrivals, veteran forward Rickea Jackson and undrafted rookie wing Sydney Taylor, were the two bright spots this year. Unfortunately, Jackson appeared in just four bouts before tearing her ACL. According to the Chicago Sun-Times‘ Alissa Hirsh, Jackson’s rehab is at least coming along nicely – and she’s already gotten some good input from Dallas Wings superstar Paige Bueckers, herslef no stranger to ACL injuries.Rickea Jackson took Paige Buecker’s advice and named her knee “Ricknee-a.” She’s also taken up bedazzling to spice up ACL rehab.She made sure to remind us that she “called it” on undrafted rookie Sydney Taylor. t.co/M7WfF1JfCI
— Alissa Hirsh (@AlissaHirsh) August 27, 2026“My trainer and my strength coach, they’re always telling me where I PR at,” Jackson told Hirsh. “They’re more excited about the little gains than I am. I just be like, ‘OK, I can bend my knee. Woohoo.’”
Hulu may want to add a bonus episode to its excellent 10-part docuseries Legacy: The True Story of the LA Lakers, which is almost as much about the dysfunctional Buss family as it is about the Hall of Famers that have dotted the club’s roster since Dr. Jerry Buss first bought the team in 1979. Most recently, five of the six Buss siblings voted to sell the family’s 17.8 percent minority ownership stake to the incoming new ownership group that bought Mark Walter’s majority. But Jeanie Buss, who had been working as L.A.’s governor under Walter, is pushing back. Per Sam Amick and Melody Gutierrez of The Athletic, Jeanie has filed a petition in LA Superior Court to prevent the other Buss kids from selling. Minor trade news: the Minnesota Timberwolves are cutting costs to carve out cap space beneath the NBA’s luxury tax apron for new power forward Jonathan Kuminga, an impending taxpayer midlevel exception signing. Sources inform Shams Charania of ESPN that Minnesota is offloading swingman Josh Green’s $14.7 million contract to the Utah Jazz in exchange for Cody Williams and John Konchar. The Timberwolves will waive-and-stretch Konchar’s contract. Yossi Gozlan of the Third Apron notes that Minnesota will now duck $415,566 beneath the league’s second apron.BULLS ON BLEACHER NATION: Go Ad Free | Subscribe to the BN Newsletter
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