The Chicago Bulls and Chip Schafer have parted ways, per sources.
Schaefer, the head athletic trainer under Phil Jackson during the dynasty days, returned to the organization as Director of Performance Health in 2016.
Head athletic trainer Todd Campbell is serving as the interim Director of Performance Health, sources said, with more changes possible to the athletic training, strength and performance health staff.
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The widely respected Schaefer was kept on in 2020 when Artūras Karnišovas replaced John Paxson as executive vice president of basketball operations. He drew widespread praise for his handling of the COVID-impacted 2020-21 season, helping spearhead the rigorous league-mandated testing protocols. He also used his close relationship with Jackson, for whom he also worked during the Los Angeles Lakers dynasty, to have Jackson address the Bulls during a trip to Los Angeles this season.
The Bulls have been hit hard by injuries, but most were of the unpredictable or acute variety, not soft-tissue related. Patrick Williams and Nikola Vucevic played all 82 games last season—-Vucevic for the first time in his career—-and this season, DeMar DeRozan led the NBA in minutes at age 34.
In March, Zach LaVine said he and his representation opted for season-ending foot surgery after getting a second opinion. LaVine said that he essentially had been playing with a floating bone in his foot, an aggravation of an injury suffered in high school. Second opinions and seeking specialists isn’t an uncommon path in the NBA.
At his season-ending news conference, Karnišovas said everything would be on the table as he eyed changes to end a two-season playoff drought. Schaefer’s departure follows that of assistant coach Chris Fleming last week. Karnišovas also will be looking to change the roster, with a trade of LaVine the first priority.
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Schaefer enjoyed two separate eight-year stints with the Bulls. He has over three decades of NBA experience, working for 11 championship teams. Between his Lakers and second Bulls stint, Schaefer spent three seasons with the Sacramento Kings as the team’s Director of Sports Science from 2013-16.