Billy Donovan took his talents to Chicago, and now, longtime Oklahoma City Thunder assistant coach Maurice Cheeks will follow.
Cheeks, who has served as an assistant coach for the Thunder under both Scott Brooks and Billy Donovan, has spent nine seasons with the franchise. He was thought by many to be a candidate to succeed Donovan, but instead, will follow the former coach to Chicago where the duo will hope to lead the Bulls back to the postseason.
The news was first reported by Shams Charania of The Athletic, and comes at a point where the Thunder are now the only team in the league to not have a head coach installed.
Oklahoma City assistant Maurice Cheeks is joining Billy Donovan’s staff as an assistant coach with the Chicago Bulls, sources tell @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) November 2, 2020
Cheeks originally joined the Thunder coaching staff under Scott Brooks back in 2009 after he was fired as head coach of the Philadelphia 76ers in December 2008. He would spend four years with the team before departing to assume the head coach position for the Detroit Pistons.
Cheeks would eventually return to Oklahoma City where he spent the last five years with Donovan, and now, will join him in Chicago.
The departure, at least in theory, takes another qualified potential head coach off the board for Sam Presti, though the perception has long been that the Thunder will opt for a younger head coach who won’t command too hefty of a salary.
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