After Jackson, little action in Bulls' coach search
The Bulls' coaching search continues to progress at a slow pace.
General manager John Paxson met with Mark Jackson, the long-time point guard and current ABC broadcaster, on Monday. He joins former Indiana and Detroit coach Rick Carlisle as the only candidates to receive a formal interview.
But anything beyond those two possibilities is on hold right now, because the next three names on the Bulls' wish list -- Dallas coach Avery Johnson, Boston assistant Tom Thibodeau and Detroit assistant Michael Curry -- are not currently available.
Johnson's status could change soon, since the Mavericks were eliminated Tuesday night by New Orleans. Some believe Johnson could become the Bulls' No. 1 candidate if he is dismissed by Dallas, as has been widely predicted.
Boston coach Doc Rivers suggested last week that he would let his assistants interview for head-coaching jobs during the playoffs if the Celtics had a lengthy break between series.
The entire NBA world expected Boston to sweep Atlanta in the first round, but the Hawks pulled into a 2-2 tie, and now the Celtics don't figure to get any break before facing the Cleveland-Washington winner -- unless they somehow lose their series to Atlanta, of course.
If Detroit makes an early playoff exit, many suspect head coach Flip Saunders could be fired and replaced by Curry. Should that happen, Saunders will likely receive consideration from the Bulls.
When Larry Brown was introduced as the new head coach of the Charlotte Bobcats on Tuesday, he reportedly received a four-year contract. The Bulls never had much interest in Brown, in part because they didn't think he would fulfill a long-term commitment.
Utah assistant Tyron Corbin is another name to float across the rumor mill, but for now, he is not expected to be interviewed.
Jackson has become a hot name as a potential head coach, but he's a long shot for the Bulls, since he has no coaching experience. The New York native is also considered the front-runner for the Knicks, who have the only other head-coaching vacancy at the moment.