Bulls GM John Paxson To Resign
John PaxsonAfter Peter Vecsey of the New York Post broke the story this morning, the Chicago Sun-Times has confirmed that Bulls GM John Paxson will resign. Although the timing of his resignation is uncertain, it is believed to be after next Thursday’s trade deadline.
Vecsey says assistant general manager Gar Foreman could take over as GM for the remainder of the season, and that Doug Collins could be approached at some point and be offered the GM job and/or the head coaching job.
Bulls chairman Jerry Reinsdorf recently absolved Paxson of all blame for this season’s struggles. Reinsdorf praised Paxson as a human being, although he did say he worried about his GM because Paxson takes his job so seriously.
Reinsdorf didn’t have anything good to say about rookie coach Vinny Del Negro, although the Bulls have played much better since Reinsdorf spoke out.
If I’m Reinsdorf, and Paxson really is leaving, I tell him to make sure his desk is packed up and office is vacated by the time I get back from All-Star Weekend. With the Bulls considering trades involving Amare Stoudemire, Jermaine O’Neal, Zach Randolph and Chris Kaman, to name a few, why do I let Pax have any more say in the future of a franchise he is leaving?
Source: Chicago Sun-Times
February 13th, 2009 at 11:54 am
Frodo T. Baggins says:
Doug Collins as the new GM or headcoach should be an improvement
February 13th, 2009 at 11:58 am
Scott says:
Makes sense, the writing has been on the wall for a while. He seems to have a solid take on talent individually, but his ability to put a ‘team’ together has lacked for years now. His ability to match a coach to his talent has also lacked.
Either way he’s done well (not great, not horrid) in Chicago, though I can’t see him becoming a GM anywhere else.
February 13th, 2009 at 12:18 pm
mavs all the way says:
who’s chris kamen? amen.
February 13th, 2009 at 12:21 pm
Mamba says:
I would hesitate to bring Doug Collins in. He is way to emotional of a guy if I were running a team. Collins is high on a guy one minute, and then the next he is calling someone out. I think at this point the Bulls need a GM and coach who can nuture the young guys that they have.
If they were to make the trade for Amare and bring Doug Collins in, that could be an issue. Collins tends to make sacred cows out of those that he feels are worthy. At the same time he will toss young guys under the bus. Having said that I see him giving Amare Carte Blacnhe which could have a bad effect on the younger guys. D Rose needs someone right now who can step in and take him to the next level, because he is a little soft.
February 13th, 2009 at 12:27 pm
Spliff 2 My Lou says:
The best NBA news I’ve heard in 2009.
February 13th, 2009 at 12:34 pm
Celts Fan says:
wow, this was started the day he signed Ben Wallace to that TERRIBLE contract (call me crazy, but I’ve never been a big fan of 6′7″ centers, especially ones that use their strength and athleticism to make up for lack of height and who just hit 30) then was forced to trade it for Larry Hughes’ almost-as-terrible contract. Hated the Wallace move at the time (I liked Tyson Chandler) but never woulda thought it’d go downhill this badly. One of the worst personnel decisions in sports history based on the snowball effect it caused…
February 13th, 2009 at 12:35 pm
A$$Cube aka Text Avery! says:
Would it be such a bad idea to bring in Avery Johnson as both a head coach and GM? Then he’d have a total control of his newfound little dictatorship.
He could do his thing with Rose like he was doing with Devin back in Dallas. Plus, he’d man up this quad –which need it badly!
What do you think?
February 13th, 2009 at 12:45 pm
Jules says:
VDN should resign after leaving Rose and Deng on the bench with 4.7 seconds left in the game, only to have THABO inbound the ball???
and then they dont use their foul-to-give when wade gets the ball??
goddamn, every coach on the team should be fired.
February 13th, 2009 at 12:47 pm
Heckler...formerly 'yallallreadyknow' says:
Good riddance!
I am not a chicago bulls fan, but this paxson punk messed up the team. one bad move after another. too many to name.
but he never addressed to the bulls need. they have needed a low post scoring presence for the last 3yrs! and he failed every time to get something done. meanwhile, zach randolph was traded twice. pau gasol was traded. jermaine o’neal was traded.
and if the rumor was true (i doubt it tho), the bulls could have had kobe bryant, but paxson didnt want to give up…ahem…luol deng. Luol Deng?!!?
Good riddance in chicago. bout time the bulls move on without john paxson.
February 13th, 2009 at 12:49 pm
nick s says:
I actually really like the call on avery johnson, maybe not as gm but certainly as our head coach. For our gm, we need a guy that is going to go out there and make things happen. Unless you have a team like lakers or boston, or a young, extremely solid foundation like portland, what is the excuse not to live dangerously as a gm? The bulls aren’t going anywhere anyways. I say we should try and bring in jerry west; it may be a longshot, but who knows?
February 13th, 2009 at 12:52 pm
Heckler...formerly 'yallallreadyknow' says:
Paxsons resume:
*couldn’t get a credible big man
*signed ben wallace to a horrid contract ($60mil, 4yrs)
*traded for larry hughes
*hired scott skiles
*couldn’t get mike d’antoni
*couldn’t get doug collins
*signed vinny del negro (no head coaching exp)
*traded lamarcus aldridge
*$70mil for luol deng
*couldn’t extend ben gordon
*couldn’t get: jermaine o’neal, pau gasol, zach randolph
*couldn’t get kobe bryant cuz he wanted to keep luol deng
*didn’t take miamis offer of dwyane wade and #2 pick
the list goes on and on….good for the bulls that he is stepping down. maybe steve kerr will hire him in phoenix as a ‘consultant’
February 13th, 2009 at 12:53 pm
the_don_mega says:
do i hear MJ’s footsteps closing in???
February 13th, 2009 at 12:53 pm
Scott says:
Personally, I think Avery hasn’t gotten another chance because he is very controlling, possibly overly controlling and GM’s tend to shy away from that kind of coach, I mean, wouldn’t you shy away from a guy who chances are would be difficult to work with unless you get on his page.
Right now there doesn’t seem to be any ‘big names’ in the GM pool. But they definitely need a guy with experience.
For Coaches, I’m still a huge Paul Silas fan, he’s a great players coach who garners respect from everyone, something that possibly Vinny couldn’t do.
February 13th, 2009 at 12:56 pm
Mikey says:
I think Isaiah Thomas is available for a GM or coaching job…
February 13th, 2009 at 12:57 pm
Spliff 2 My Lou says:
I’ll take Avery Johnson. He is who I originally wanted before the season began.
Thanks Heckler for bringing up the bad memories. Like I said before Paxson was the NBA’s version of Matt Millen.
And please Chicago DO NOT trade for Amare!!
February 13th, 2009 at 12:58 pm
Spliff 2 My Lou says:
I’m down with Paul Silas as well.
February 13th, 2009 at 1:04 pm
Mikey says:
Could they lure Bill Laimbeer away from the WNBA? I kind of doubt it. How sad is that?
February 13th, 2009 at 1:05 pm
Drink the Haterade (KB24 Chip 09) says:
Actually the problem with the Kobe trade was that Kobe had a no trade clause and wouldn’t accept a trade w/o Deng still being in Chicago
February 13th, 2009 at 1:06 pm
loons says:
how paxson managed to botch the two draft picks he pilfered from isiah is beyond me. as a knicks fan, its just a relief we didnt get hosed as badly as we could have.
$&#@*$^* isiah….
February 13th, 2009 at 1:14 pm
pig says:
The Toronto Raptors have agreed to send Jermaine O’Neal and Jamario Moon to the Miami Heat in exchange for Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks, league sources told ESPN The Magazine’s Ric Bucher.
The deal is pending league approval, according to league sources.
February 13th, 2009 at 1:19 pm
fallinup says:
REJOICE! REJOICE! There’s a new day coming!
I got sooooo tired of typing “I HATE YOU JOHN PAXSON”.
No more!
REJOICE!!!!!
February 13th, 2009 at 1:20 pm
fallinup says:
yer next, Vinny.
February 13th, 2009 at 1:23 pm
fallinup says:
From my honest standpoint. And as a long time Bulls fan. Doug Collins in the front office would be an awesome move. I love his mind, I love his analysis…I don’t like how he coaches teams. Having someone like Avery Johnson, or even giving Mark Jackson a shot (hell, we gave Vinny a friggin shot!)…and working with Doug Collins up front. I think wouldn’t be a bad idea.
February 13th, 2009 at 1:27 pm
fallinup says:
and @ heckler…
I would have added…let Chandler walk to sign Wallace.
And didn’t he give that overly big extension to Hinrich and Nocioni only to see them fall off…and Deng hasn’t actually lived up to his dollar either.
February 13th, 2009 at 6:59 pm
dapro says:
I was scared as hell when I saw Paxton’s name, I didn’t bother to see what the post was about but yeah he needs to bounce………
I’m not sure about DC as a replacement but we’ll see who they get
February 17th, 2009 at 4:44 am
Hewhoisnot says:
“D Rose needs someone right now who can step in and take him to the next level, because he is a little soft”
You clearly have been injected with the same idiot needle that Gary Payton and Chris Webber has been stuck with. Soft??? you should learn to evaluate things on your own and not just go by the media. fucking idiot