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The Bulls are considering hiring Mike D'Antoni =
strongly enough=20
that club Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf, who owns a home in the Phoenix area, =
will=20
meet with the Suns' coach this weekend, sources said.
General =
manager=20
John Paxson spent parts of Sunday and Monday interviewing D'Antoni in =
Phoenix.=20
On Friday at the Berto Center, Paxson gathered background on coaching =
candidates=20
for other possible interviews while still contemplating the good and bad =
D'Antoni presents.
The Bulls have no Sunday deadline for a =
potential=20
contract proposal to D'Antoni. Paxson, who is working under no rush, has =
told=20
D'Antoni's camp he might conduct other interviews.
The Bulls =
won't get=20
into a bidding war for D'Antoni if the=20
Knicks stray from leading candidate Mark=20
Jackson toward D'Antoni. But they could if they wanted to because =
the dire=20
financial picture painted in some accounts of Scott Skiles' settlement =
isn't=20
that grim.
![3D"Chicago](3D"http://www.chicagotribune.com/images/branding/masthead_subpages.gi=)
May 10, 2008
Reinsdorf to meet with D'Antoni
But Paxson mulls talking with other candidates
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According to two people familiar with Skiles' =
settlement after=20
his Christmas=20
Eve firing, Skiles is owed $1 million of his guaranteed $3.5 million =
next=20
season. In exchange for waiving his offset, Skiles agreed to refund $1 =
million=20
of the $4.5 million owed next season.
Skiles, who receives his =
Bulls=20
money despite signing a four-year, $18 million deal with the Bucks, then =
spread=20
the remaining $3.5 million over seasonal payments of $1 million, $1 =
million,=20
$750,000 and $750,000.
Thus, the Bulls theoretically could sign =
D'Antoni=20
to the $4.25 annual average remaining on his Suns contract and, combined =
with=20
the $1 million owed Skiles next season, have an outlay of $5.25 million =
for a=20
coach.
That's more palatable than the $8 million to $9 million it =
would=20
have cost next season if Skiles had taken his money in one lump sum =
after his=20
firing.
While he remains intrigued with several of D'Antoni's =
offensive=20
ideas using Bulls personnel, Paxson values defense. That's not =
considered one of=20
D'Antoni's strengths.
That's why Paxson, according to sources, =
discussed=20
hiring a veteran defensive assistant during his interview with D'Antoni =
last=20
weekend in Phoenix. D'Antoni is closely linked to offensive-minded =
assistants=20
like his older brother Dan and Phil Weber.
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