The Chicago Bulls have reached out to Phil Jackson through back channels to gauge his interest in returning to the franchise he won six NBA titles with, according to two sources with knowledge of the situation.

There has been no direct contact between Bulls officials and Jackson, according to the sources, but people close to both parties have spoken and come away with the belief that Jackson would be open to a potential reunion in Chicago next season.


Gar Forman, the Bulls' general manager, refused to comment on the club's coaching search when reached Monday night by telephone.

Chicago could be on the verge of its biggest offseason since the Michael Jordan Era, when Jordan and Jackson led the club to double three-peats from 1991-1993 and 1996-1998.

With roughly $23 million to spend in free agency, the Bulls are one of the more probable landing spots for LeBron James. James is intrigued by the possibility of playing with Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah, according to sources, and the return of Jackson would only make the Bulls that much more attractive to the Cleveland Cavaliers' two-time MVP.


Jackson, who is in the final year of his contract with the Los Angeles Lakers, would likely only be interested in coaching Chicago if James signed there. If Jackson and James joined the Bulls, Jackson would have the unparalleled opportunity to have coached Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O'Neal and James.

The Bulls are one of six teams in the league with a head coaching vacancy and one of several believed to have interest in Jackson.

Jackson, whose Lakers lead the Phoenix Suns 2-1 in the Western Conference finals, has said recently there's a "90 percent chance" that if he coaches next season it will be with the Lakers. But Lakers owner Jerry Buss reportedly wants Jackson to take a pay cut from the $12 million salary he's receiving this season.

That could open the door for the Bulls, as well as the Cavaliers or New Jersey Nets, to make a run at Jackson.

Jackson, the NBA's all-time leader with 10 championships, coached the Bulls from 1989-1998. Since leaving the Bulls, Jackson has maintained a friendship with team owner Jerry Reinsdorf.

Maybe the Bulls know a little more about this Lebron thing than we think. Or they are probably just checking to see if Phil would be interested IF Lebron signed with them. If LA is unwilling to pay Phil the money he wants, I hope Jerry goes all out this offseason and man's up and pays PJax what he wants.

Phil allegedly wants $12 mil to coach next year...

Who the Hell cares? I'll defend the Bulls sometimes on their cheapness, cap maneuverings, etc., but that's not a cap hit, the Bulls haven't paid the luxury tax in over a decade, and they've been selling out the UC pretty much non-stop for the last decade anyway.

"I have no, at all, desire to go back to Chicago and coach the Bulls," Jackson said, responding to an ESPN.com report from Monday night that the Bulls had reached out to Jackson through back channels to gauge his interest in a return.

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Earlier Tuesday, ESPN.com reported that the New Jersey Nets had made similar back-channel inquiries to assess the possibility of luring Jackson away from Los Angeles to enhance their appeal to James, with Lakers owner Jerry Buss determined to reduce Jackson's $12 million annual salary.

"Those channels have not reached me," Jackson said, insisting that he has "not entertained any conversations" about coaching elsewhere.

Asked specifically about New Jersey, Jackson joked that he'd like to "have a vodka" with new Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov, saying Prokhorov seems "like a very interesting young man." But Jackson added that he is likewise not interested in coaching the Nets, pointing out that he has never lived in Brooklyn or Newark.

Jackson, however, said he couldn't go any farther than insisting that "the probabilities are great" that he'll be back on the Lakers' bench next season.