Could Russell Westbrook give the Chicago Bulls a needed shot of energy? ‘He was always ready to play,’ Billy Donovan says.

The Bulls have yet to show their hand as Russell Westbrook awaits a potential buyout of his contract by the Utah Jazz — but if he comes to Chicago, the nine-time All-Star would have plenty of familiarity with coach Billy Donovan.

During a segment of the “#thisleague” podcast Monday, TNT’s Chris Haynes said Donovan has reached out to Westbrook and urged him that “Chicago should be the place for him.”

Donovan declined to comment on the potential addition of Westbrook before Monday’s game against the Orlando Magic at the United Center. But he offered high praise for the 34-year-old point guard, whom Donovan coached for four seasons in Oklahoma City.

“Being with him for four years, I always said this: It was unbelievable respect on my part,” Donovan said. “Whenever there was a game, you knew he was always ready to play.

“He’s a great competitor and he loves competing. He plays with great energy and great passion. You go into a locker room before a game and you look at him, you’re not worried about whether or not he’s ready to play every game.”

The Bulls could use a shot in the arm. More than 3-point shooting or rebounding, their lagging energy has been the main source of their despondent performances in recent weeks.

But Donovan said one acquisition on the buyout market — whether it’s Westbrook or someone else — might not be the sole answer to the Bulls’ problems.

“I don’t know if one player can provide it or not,” Donovan said. “That’s certainly a lot to ask of one player coming into a new situation.”

Bringing in Westbrook also would displace other guards on the roster, potentially moving Ayo Dosunmu back into the secondary rotation after he took over the starting point guard role for the better part of the last year while Lonzo Ball has been sidelined.

Dosunmu told reporters Monday he’s focused on personal improvement amid the Westbrook rumors.

“At the end of the day, I just have to come out here and try to do whatever I can to help the team win,” Dosunmu said. “When I’m on the court, I try to do that. That’s always been my motto.”

With only 25 regular-season games left after Monday, Westbrook would have little runway to onboard with the Bulls in any meaningful way before the season ends. He reportedly could wait until after the All-Star break to make a decision, which would offer only 23 games to acclimate to the Bulls roster and make an impact.

Donovan noted this difficulty as another factor as the Bulls weigh the buyout market over the next two weeks.

“Especially when the guy’s in a rotation, it does take some time,” Donovan said. “The bigger issue is how does a guy come in and make the group better. A lot of times in order to do that, you’ve got to play with guys over a period of time to get comfortable with them because there is an adjustment period.”