Report: Bulls Want Commitment From Replacement Coach Before Dealing With Tom Thibodeau's Exit, Compensation
(CBS) It appears the Bulls' coaching drama will take some time to play out.
Chicago wants a commitment from a replacement coach before it will talk with other teams about compensation for letting current coach Tom Thibodeau out of his contract, CBSSports.com's Ken Berger reported. In addition, at this point the Bulls aren't in any way entertaining thoughts of firing Thibodeau and letting him walk to another team, Berger reported. In that situation, the Bulls couldn't receive any draft pick compensation for Thibodeau's exit.
Iowa State coach Fred Hoiberg -- who has a close relationship with Bulls general manager Gar Forman -- is the clear-cut No. 1 candidate for the Bulls. Warriors assistant Alvin Gentry is another candidate, according to reports.
Thibodeau and the Bulls front office have had a well-documented difference in philosophy that has signs pointing to a parting of ways this offseason.
From Berger:
Front office sources believe that if Hoiberg could be had, the Bulls would jump at the opportunity to then leverage the other head coaching openings -- New Orleans, Denver and Orlando, at the moment -- to extract draft-pick compensation for Thibodeau. But one thing the Bulls won't do, according to league sources, is let Thibodeau out of his contract for compensation without knowing they have a replacement who excites them.
As Berger points out, this situation is a twist on a coaching search. Typically, teams part ways with a coach before they hire a new one, but because of the unique circumstance and Thibodeau being a highly regarded coach, the Bulls don't want to end up in a situation in which they're paying him not to coach while having a new leader of their own who isn't as capable.
Thibodeau has two years and approximately $9 million left on his contract. For his part, he has no intention of leaving any money on the table, the Tribune's K.C. Johnson reported.
There's an offset in Thibodeau's contract that means the Bulls wouldn't have to pay all the money that they owe him if he signs with another team, Yahoo Sports NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski said in an interview on 670 The Score last week.
Denver, New Orleans and Orlando all have coaching openings right now. Before he accepted the Chicago job offer in 2010, Thibodeau had an offer to coach New Orleans.
