Bulls’ Billy Donovan nowhere near hot seat, knows it can change quickly

LOS ANGELES — Bulls forward DeMar DeRozan was slightly surprised when Heat guard Kyle Lowry, his good friend, called him early Tuesday morning to let him know he was being traded to the Hornets.

“Slightly” because it wasn’t even close to the surprise DeRozan felt later that day.

“I was more shocked with Adrian Griffin getting fired [as Bucks coach] with a record of 30-13, being second in the East,” DeRozan said. “It just shows you what kind of league we’re in, where anything at any given moment can happen. Whether it’s going good or something is going bad, you’ve just got to be prepared for it. You kind of have an open mind this time of year that anything is possible.”

That goes for players and coaches alike.

While Bulls coach Billy Donovan is in no danger of losing his job, he knows Griffin well, having had him as an assistant coach on his staff with the Thunder in 2016-18. He knows just how fleeting coaching jobs can be.

“I felt bad,” Donovan said. “I thought he did a really good job when we were together. When you don’t know all the inner workings of those things [in Milwaukee], it’s hard, but as a coach, a guy and my relationship with him, I really enjoyed our time together. Any time you see something like that happen so quickly, you always feel bad about it.”

Griffin, who lasted just 43 games, will be paid through the 2026-27 season. With the Bucks having already hired Doc Rivers to replace him, they’ll be paying three coaches: Griffin, Rivers and Mike Budenholzer, who was fired last May.

“You always have to be grateful each and every day to [coach],” Donovan said. “I drive home and get off the interstate, and there’s people standing out there on the street asking for money or people sleeping in front of police precincts. It’s so easy not to be grateful for the things you have and the opportunity you have, and I always try and keep that in perspective. I get a chance every day to do something I love. I try and view it that way.”

Left off the list

DeRozan was glad to hear that Bulls teammate Alex Caruso was invited to be part of the U.S. player pool for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, even though his own phone didn’t ring. The six-time All-Star played in the 2014 World Cup and won gold in the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

“Nah, nobody asked me nothing,” DeRozan said. “I was even curious on how they went about [choosing players].

“But it’s all good. I’m happy for whoever is in the pool. If I was asked, I would have been a part of it for sure. I already did it, [and] being a part of it for 2014 and 2016 was definitely an honor. So I’m happy for whoever is in it.”

Does he recall where he put his medal?

“No, and that’s crazy to say,” he said. “I’ve got to ask my mom.”

Schooled

The Bulls released a video of guard Zach LaVine trying to give DeRozan, who played at USC, some UCLA gear as the Bulls practiced this week at LaVine’s former university. DeRozan quickly outed him.

“I’ve never even seen you wearing UCLA [gear],” DeRozan told LaVine.

That’s because LaVine is a USC fan when it comes to football.

“We all know what the real school is,” DeRozan said. “It’s always fun being here and making fun of Zach and everything. That’s always cool from that aspect.”