Former Bulls coaching legend Phil Jackson has been added to the offseason rumor mill surrounding the coach-less franchise.
The team has reached out to Jackson through back channels to see if he’d be interested in returning to the site of his first six NBA championships, according to a report from ESPN.
There has been no direct contact between Jackson and the team, according to the report, but their sources reportedly think that the current Los Angeles Lakers coach would be open to a return.
Jackson is currently in the last year of his contract with the Lakers, who are up 2-1 in the Western Conference finals against the Phoenix Suns. He has said there’s a “90 percent chance” that if he coaches next year it will be with the Lakers. It would be highly unlikely that the prospect of coming back to Chicago would even enter his mind if the Bulls failed to sign LeBron James.
Having a 10-time — 11-time if the Lakers can win it all next month — champion at the helm would certainly make the Bulls a much more attractive destination for the highly touted free agent.