Listen: Joe Cowley On Bulls-Tom Thibodeau Drama
(CBS) Most indications continue to point toward a divorce between the Bulls and coach Tom Thibodeau, but there remains one figure who can bring an end to the drama.
Bulls chairman Jerry Reinsdorf.
To date, it's unknown what Reinsdorf's view is regarding the contentious relationship between Bulls management and Thibodeau. What's better known is that he could save Thibodeau's job if he wants to, the Sun-Times' Joe Cowley said in an interview Mully & Grote this on Wednesday morning.
Thibodeau has two years and about $9 million left on his contract with the Bulls.
"All guys in the party respect him enough where they would get together and listen," Cowley said. "If he goes ahead and does that, I definitely think that's the governor making that call and saying, 'No, there's not going to be an execution.'
"You would hope they'd say, 'OK, you got two more years left. Let's do one more year and then revisit.' If Jerry wants that, Jerry's going to get that. I just don't know if he wants that or if he's even going to call a meeting and try to have these guys hammer this out."
Cowley -- previously a baseball beat writer -- referenced a wild 2011 season for the White Sox in which executive Kenny Williams and Ozzie Guillen had a contentious relationship that spilled into the personal side.
At one point in the 2011 season, Williams wanted to fire Guillen, Cowley said, before Reinsdorf stepped in. Guillen left after the season.
Any potential saving grace for the Bulls-Thibodeau drama would be that it's simply professional troubles stemming from philosophical differences and stubbornness between Bulls executive vice president John Paxson, general manager Gar Forman and Thibodeau.
"At the end of the day, this never got into families like the Ozzie-Kenny (relationship) did," Cowley said. "That was so personal and had so many layers off the field that it couldn't work. At least you have a middle man (in the Bulls' drama). You had Gar Forman going into Tom Thibodeau's office at the end of the year and talking to him, and you had those two kind of yukking it up on stage when Jimmy Butler was named the Most Improved (Player).
"So you have a relationship that's at least workable. I don't think Paxson and Tom have talked in, I don't know how long. Maybe a couple grunts toward each other, and that's about it. You at least have a middle man who can relay messages and stuff. I mean, basically, I think the idea here and what it should've been is the front office does what the front office does, and let the coach do what the coach does."
Listen to Cowley's full interview below.