The Chicago Bulls’ 2025-26 season has been a tale of frustration and missed opportunities, culminating in their official elimination from playoff contention in March after a lopsided 131-113 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. With the postseason out of reach and just a handful of games remaining on the schedule, the focus has shifted toward roster evaluation, development, and laying the groundwork for a pivotal offseason.
Yet even in the final stretch of a disappointing campaign, the Bulls made one last roster adjustment on Thursday, April 9, by elevating Windy City Bulls G League forward Mouhamadou Gueye to a standard NBA contract for the remainder of the season. The move brings the team’s active roster to the full 15-man limit, providing a bit of depth and an opportunity for the 27-year-old to earn valuable NBA minutes as the regular season winds down.
Gueye, a 6-foot-9 forward who went undrafted out of the University of Pittsburgh in 2022, has been a consistent presence in the G League throughout his young professional career. He began with the Dallas Mavericks’ affiliate, the Texas Legends, before stints that included a brief 11-game appearance with the Toronto Raptors. This season with the Windy City Bulls, he delivered solid production across 34 regular-season games, averaging 15.9 points, 7.4 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.4 blocks, and 0.8 steals per game. He shot .499 from the field, .325 from three-point range, and .697 from the free-throw line — numbers that highlight his versatility as a scoring threat, rebounder, and rim protector at the developmental level.
While Gueye’s promotion is unlikely to alter the Bulls’ immediate fortunes in a lost season, it offers the front office and coaching staff a final look at a player who has shown flashes of NBA potential. For a team in transition, every evaluation counts.
Stability at the Helm: Bulls Affirm Commitment to Billy Donovan
The roster tweak comes amid broader organizational upheaval. Just days earlier, the Bulls parted ways with longtime basketball executives Artūras Karnišovas and Marc Eversley, signaling a desire for fresh leadership to drive long-term success. On Thursday, April 8, team president and CEO Michael Reinsdorf addressed the media via video conference, outlining his vision for the incoming top basketball executive while delivering a strong vote of confidence in head coach Billy Donovan.
“I want someone who is process-oriented,” Reinsdorf said. “I think the biggest mistakes we have made over the years is we have not followed a process. Conviction. We need someone who is not afraid to pull the trigger.”
Crucially, Reinsdorf left no ambiguity about the coaching situation. He described Donovan as “a Hall of Fame coach who not only has my respect, but the respect of the entire organization and locker room.” Reinsdorf added: “While we will handle any conversations about the coaching staff the same way we always do at the end of the season, I wanted to be very clear: We want Billy to continue to be the coach of the Chicago Bulls.”
The endorsement underscores Donovan’s standing within the organization. Despite the team’s struggles, Reinsdorf emphasized the coach’s championship pedigree from his college days and deep playoff runs with the Oklahoma City Thunder, while expressing a desire for Donovan to have greater input in future player-acquisition decisions.
For Bulls fans weary of instability, the message was reassuring: while significant changes are coming to the front office this offseason, the man on the sidelines will remain the same — provided Donovan wishes to stay, which appears to be the strong mutual inclination.
What’s Next for the Bulls?
With the regular season nearing its conclusion, the Bulls will use these final games — including potential opportunities for Gueye — to assess talent and build momentum heading into a critical summer. The search for a new head of basketball operations will likely dominate headlines, with Reinsdorf prioritizing candidates who value structure, decisiveness, and alignment with the current coaching staff.
In the meantime, Chicago’s latest roster move serves as a quiet reminder that even when the playoffs are off the table, the work of building a competitive roster never truly stops. Gueye’s elevation may be a small step, but in a season defined by transition, every piece matters as the Bulls look to reset and reload for 2026-27.
The Chicago Bulls may be eliminated, but with clear direction on the coaching front and a full roster to evaluate, the foundation for change is already being laid.