NBA Rumors: Chicago Bulls plan to hire Fred Hoiberg if Tom Thibodeau leaves
By Josh Hill
The Chicago Bulls have no plans of letting head coach Tom Thibodeau get scooped up by another team, but stranger things have happened and it appears the front office is bracing in case the worst comes to fruition. Thibodeau is their man, and he’s the best suited coach to lead the team in it’s current form, but should the Lakers, Timberwolves, Jazz or even the Warriors or Rockets come knocking, the Bulls are prepared to replace Thibodeau.
According to Tim Kawakami of the Bay Area News Group, should the Bulls — by some stroke of absolute weirdness — lose Thibodeau, they plan on making a hard run at Iowa State head coach Fred Hoiberg.
This, of course, is all continent on the nearly impossible scenario of the Bulls letting Thibs go, but we all thought it was crazy talk for the Clippers to think about acquiring Doc Rivers and it happened anyways. Thibodeau leaving Chicago would force the team to rebuild as it’s built in his image at the moment and run through his system alone.
Still, there has been friction in the front office and the trading of Luol Deng still stings Thibodeau. The lack of money allowed for free agents doesn’t help either as plenty of teams would hand the checkbook over to a responsible Thibodeau if it meant getting him the guys he needed rather than cheap guys he needs to mold.
Hoiberg has stated he wants to stay in Ames, but if the near-by Bulls come calling, it’s hard to see him saying no to that.