Tom Thibodeau Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Barkley On Bulls, Thibodeau, Nowitzki, Odom

April 11th, 2012 at 5:51pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Charles Barkley has always remained an outspoken basketball analyst who minces no words. A co-author of a book called "I May Be Wrong, But I Doubt It", Barkley recently provided his take on topics surrounding the Bulls and Mavericks:

In an ESPN Chicago report, Barkley says that he liked what he saw from Chicago in their win over the Knicks on Tuesday night, and breaks down why he feels that they can beat the Heat if they meet in the Eastern Conference Finals.
According to Charles, Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau should be one of the top five paid coaches in the league. Thibodeau may soon get that opportunity, as his contract expires this summer. (ESPNChicago.com link)
He isn't sold on the notion that Dirk Nowitzki can return to form as a dependable go-to guy, and asserts that he is "never wrong on Father Time" (Tim MacMahon of ESPN Dallas reports).
SportsDayDFW highlighted a few notes from Barkley's visit with Galloway and Company of KESN-FM 103.3 in Dallas, most notably his feeling that Lamar Odom does not deserve to get paid for his disappointing lack of productivity this year.

Central Notes: Cavs, Bulls, Villanueva, Wallace

April 4th, 2012 at 9:03am CST by Luke Adams

The Bucks can pull within a game of the eighth-place Knicks in the East tonight, and they couldn't ask for a better matchup — Milwaukee will host the Cavaliers, who have lost eight straight games and are coming off a 125-90 shellacking at the hands of the Spurs. Tom Reed of the Cleveland Plain Dealer acknowledges that a team like the Cavs needs to go through years like this to build through the draft lottery, but wonders if all the losses will affect young players like Kyrie Irving, Tristan Thompson, and Alonzo Gee. Here are a few more Wednesday morning links from out of the Central Division:

Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau and GM Gar Forman have both downplayed an ESPN.com report that suggested Thibodeau was unhappy with his contract situation. We heard yesterday that Forman and the Bulls initiated extension talks with the coach prior to the season and intend to resume them at season's end. Forman discussed this further with Neil Hayes of the Chicago Sun-Times, noting, "It’s our objective to have Tom as coach of the Bulls long-term, and I think it’s Tom’s objective to be the coach of the Bulls. Usually when your objectives are the same, you should be able to reach a resolution."
Charlie Villanueva, who has only played 15 minutes all season, is growing increasingly frustrated by his role with the Pistons, writes Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News. Villanueva has two years and $16MM+ remaining on his contract after this season, and as Goodwill points out, the veteran forward could be an amnesty candidate. "I know this summer this will be addressed, my future will be talked about," Villanueva said. "I want to be here. But I'm a realist at the same time."
Fellow Pistons big man Ben Wallace has stated repeatedly that he'll retire at season's end, but Wallace left himself some wiggle room with his most recent comments, says David Mayo of MLive.com.

Stein On Wilson Chandler, Coaching Rumors

March 30th, 2012 at 4:51pm CST by Luke Adams

In his latest Weekend Dime, ESPN.com's Marc Stein says that Wilson Chandler's long-term deal with the Nuggets isn't worth quite as much as had been previously reported. According to Stein, the contract is for $31.7MM in total, starting at $5.5MM this season and topping out at $7.2MM in 2015/16. Only $2MM of that final season is guaranteed, Stein adds.

The rest of Stein's rumors this week revolve around coaching positions, so let's dive in….

The Bulls hold a team option on Tom Thibodeau for next season, but the Chicago coach is "dismayed" that he hasn't been offered a lucrative contract extension, according to Stein. Stein hears that Thibodeau's displeasure with his contract situation is an "open secret in team circles."
Mike Woodson is increasingly hopeful of keeping the Knicks coaching job, though if Phil Jackson expressed interest in the position, rival teams assume James Dolan would do whatever it takes to sign the Zen Master.
The Clippers may be in the market for a new coach this summer, ideally one who could convince Chris Paul and Blake Griffin to remain in Los Angeles long-term.
If Stan Van Gundy were to be replaced as the Magic coach, Nate McMillan appears to be the top candidate, says Stein.
Stein spoke to "[John] Calipari experts," who suggested the Wildcats coach may not be inclined to give up his power and prestige at Kentucky to coach in the NBA.

Bulls Notes: Thibodeau, James, Roster

February 24th, 2012 at 8:56am CST by Luke Adams

The Bulls head into the All-Star break trailing the Heat by mere percentage points in the Eastern Conference standings. Let's round up the latest out of Chicago, as the team hopes for a healthier backcourt in the second half….

K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune asked chairman Jerry Reisendorf why the team hasn't picked up Tom Thibodeau's third-year option for 2012/13. While Reisendorf said there was nothing to announce at this point, he added, "We certainly hope and expect that Tom will be with the Bulls well beyond his current contract."
Johnson notes that when the Bulls were in a similar situation with coach Scott Skiles, the team waited until June to exercise his option, but also signed him to a three-year extension at that point.
Mike James' 10-day contract has expired, and he won't sign another one right away. Johnson says the Bulls could re-sign James in March, a decision which I expect will depend on the health of Derrick Rose, C.J. Watson and Richard Hamilton.
Even if the team doesn't make a move before the trade deadline, the Bulls' players believe they have a better squad than last year, says Neil Hayes of the Chicago Sun-Times.