Bucks given clear reason to ramp up Taylor Jenkins pursuit after shocking Bulls update

The Milwaukee Bucks are reportedly pursuing Taylor Jenkins to be their next head coach, but if he wants it, there is suddenly another opening to consider. That comes with the Chicago Bulls abruptly dismissing Billy Donovan after six years at the helm. If the Bucks are serious about securing Jenkins' services, they may want to accelerate the process. 

Bucks, Bulls offer similar coaching opportunities 

Both franchises are in similar situations, teetering on the brink of a rebuild. In Chicago, in fact, that process may have begun at the 2026 trade deadline, when they shipped off the last of their core contributors from Play-in rosters past.

Earlier this month, the Bulls dismissed both their general manager, Marc Eversley, and vice president of basketball operations, Arturas Karnisovas. They're cleaning house.

Milwaukee's trajectory hangs in the balance of Giannis Antetokounmpo's decision this summer. If he stays, the Bucks will continue to compete. If he leaves, some sort of retooling period will commence.

Is there a reason to prefer one job over the other? There is no significant geographic gap; both teams occupy cold cities in the Midwest. The discrepancy in current talent on the respective rosters isn't all that stark, either. 

In the 2025-26 standings, the Bucks finished 11th in the East at 32-50. The Bulls finished 12th at 31-51. Both teams will likely receive a Top 10 draft pick in June. Cue the Spider-Man meme. 

Jenkins does have ties to Milwaukee from his stint as an assistant coach in 2018-19. The appeal of the Bucks job, however, could largely depend on whether Giannis remains in Milwaukee, giving Jenkins a chance to coach a team that still intends to compete.

Bucks must strike first given lack of clear edge over Bulls job

Jenkins entered a similar but somewhat different scenario when he took the Memphis job in 2019-20. The Grizzlies were a young team coming off a 33-win season, looking to return to playoff relevance. 

In terms of franchise trajectory, they stood poised for an upswing. They had a developing young core, led by point guard Ja Morant. Memphis' short-lived rebuild was mostly over. The Bucks and Bulls, on the other hand, may be about to start one. 

Nearly the entire Bulls roster is hitting free agency, dominated by older players unlikely to feature in the organization's future. A core of Josh Giddey, Matas Buzelis, and Tre Jones is not especially appealing. 

The Bucks' situation is not much rosier with the prospect of a Giannis trade looming. Absent the Greek Freak, Ryan Rollins, AJ Green, and Myles Turner isn't such a tantalizing nucleus.

Retaining breakout forward Ousmane Dieng in restricted free agency would improve their outlook. So would bringing back Kevin Porter Jr., who will likely decline his player option. Pete Nance, recently signed to a standard contract, looks poised for a leap year. Two-way wing Cormac Ryan showed convincing flashes. 

The kicker is that the Bucks control none of their own first-round picks until 2031, whereas the Bulls have a well-stocked cupboard. As far as rebuilding a roster from scratch, with the chance to have his say in the draft selections.

If the openings aren't vastly different from Jenkins' perspective, the Bucks have a clear choice between him and the other candidate, Darvin Ham, thus far linked to them in rumors. They'll continue exploring other options, but now, Milwaukee has an incentive to get a deal done with Jenkins sooner rather than later if no better choice presents itself. 

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