Chicago’s strategy to rebuild made some wonder what the future status of head coach Billy Donovan will be. Donovan left his job with the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2020 to join the Bulls.

Rarely does a team travel merely the calm seas to success. The path to an NBA championship often faces storms of dissension or distraction, uncharted shoals of misery amidst the elation.

Billy Donovan’s first real glimpse into the next chapter of his basketball life came Tuesday night at the United Center. With 2½ minutes left in the first half of a win over the Miami Heat ...