The Orlando Magic are reportedly putting together an offer for Chicago Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau with speculation linking him with an exit this summer.
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It is reported that the Magic are delaying their coaching appointment in order to wait to see how Thibodeau’s situation in Chicago plays out, with speculation on-going that he will be fired by the Bulls at the end of their season.
While those rumours are nothing new, it seems as though there is more certainty this time round particularly if the Bulls don’t win a championship, but even that reportedly won’t make a difference to his job security.
As a result, the Bulls will be willing to listen to offers this off-season, and the Magic are preparing to offer up to two second-round Draft picks in order to get him out of his Bulls deal.
“Sources close to the situation say not only would the Magic give the Bulls compensation (likely a second-round pick or two) for the chance to get at Thibodeau, sources also said the Magic would meet the expected $7-8 million per year coaching salary Thibodeau likely commands in his next deal,” Basketball Insiders reported.
The Thibodeau being fired rumour has been around for some time, and yet the Bulls have stuck with him to this point despite disputes over changes to his coaching staff and various other issues.
Although he still has two years left on his contract, it is also possible that he could see out his deal and then move on, but if the Bulls continue to fall short of their expectations on the court, then it could call for a more immediate change.
Further, he may well want to be given more power in Orlando and will want front office control in order to stamp his authority on the organisation and roster, but the Magic have just signed general manager Rob Hennigan to a new deal.
While there is still a long way to go before this becomes a realistic possibility, it certainly would be a solution for all three parties and could come to fruition this summer following legitimate negotiations.
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