Days like Wednesday are why general manager John Paxson insisted he had no timetable to fill the Bulls’ vacant coaching position.
With the Mavericks firing Avery Johnson and enough smoke swirling to suggest Mike D’Antoni might walk away from two years and $8.5 million on his Suns contract, Paxson’s lengthy list of candidates just got lengthier.
Thus far, Paxson has talked formally only to Rick Carlisle and Mark Jackson about the position. That should change shortly as sources confirmed the Bulls would attempt to interview Johnson, who went 194-70 with a trip to the 2006 NBA Finals with Dallas.
Suns general manager Steve Kerr denied a report by Sports Illustrated’s respected NBA reporter Jack McCallum claiming D’Antoni’s tenure with Phoenix is over. That denial could represent semantics as Kerr might not fire D’Antoni but wouldn’t stand in the way of his departure.
Thus, the Bulls, or another team with a vacancy, could request permission to interview D’Antoni, who has clashed occasionally with Kerr. Paxson wouldn’t be performing due diligence if he didn’t inquire into the situation.
Johnson and D’Antoni are, like Carlisle, former Coach of the Year winners who represent drastically different personalities and philosophies.
At first blush, Johnson would seem a better fit for Paxson’s profile of a candidate who offers leadership, strong defensive principles and, in Paxson’s only public words about the search, “a different type of vibe.”
Johnson also is a former player, which a source said has been discussed internally as important for this current group of Bulls.
Yet D’Antoni, if he becomes available, also is intriguing in that he has been credited with reviving fast-break basketball with a unique offensive system.
Paxson, who played in the triangle offense, has told confidants he values offensive systems that adhere to a style of play, like in Phoenix and Utah.
Then again, the Bulls have nobody like Steve Nash and are looking to stabilize their point-guard position this summer.
Speaking of point guards, the former player Jackson has been considered a cinch for the Knicks’ job. Yet Johnson’s availability, along with possibly D’Antoni’s, could change that view. Nevertheless, Jackson is considered a long shot to land the Bulls’ job.
Talk in league circles remains that the Pistons would deny Paxson permission to interview assistant Michael Curry, considered the heir apparent to Flip Saunders.
Another assistant, the Celtics’ Tom Thibodeau, remains on Paxson’s wish list. Whether he has dropped a peg now that Johnson is on the open market remains to be seen.
Paxson has said he won’t worry about competing with other franchises for candidates and wants to let the interview process play out, seeking to connect with somebody philosophically.
As for ex-Bulls coaches, Scott Skiles has an oral commitment from Jim Boylan to join his staff in Milwaukee after Skiles considered coaches like Craig Neal, who couldn’t get out of his college coaching contract. Team officials are working to finalize contract details for Boylan.
———-
kcjohnson@tribune.com
