re: This coaching search is soooooo boring

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Warriors assistant Alvin Gentry, a respected offensive coach, is among the names on the Bulls' radar. But sources say Gentry -- and anyone else not named Hoiberg -- will have to pass a difficult litmus test that includes not only being the right fit, but also dynamic enough to justify letting Thibodeau out of his deal.

"What is Tom going to do, be angry?" another front office source said. "What's different about that?"

Front office sources believe that if Hoiberg could be had, the Bulls would jump at the opportunity to then leverage the other head coaching openings -- New Orleans, Denver and Orlando, at the moment -- to extract draft-pick compensation for Thibodeau. But one thing the Bulls won't do, according to league sources, is let Thibodeau out of his contract for compensation without knowing they have a replacement who excites them.

"That ain't happening," one of the people said.

The point is, most people wrestling with how and when the Thibodeau divorce with the Bulls happens are getting the variables backwards. First comes the replacement, then the compensation talks for the embattled -- and in demand -- Thibodeau.

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As for New Orleans, which fired Monty Williams this week with an eye toward the possibility that Thibodeau will be available, the outcome depends on who is making the decision. If it is GM Dell Demps' call, league sources question whether Demps would want to embark on another potentially contentious coach-GM relationship. Williams is highly regarded, defensive-minded and headstrong -- much like Thibodeau.

If the decision rests with executive VP Mickey Loomis, brought over from the Saints by owner Tom Benson, it adds an element of unpredictability to the equation. If former Pistons executive Joe Dumars assumes a prominent decision-making role with the Pelicans after advising the team for the past few months, sources say Michigan State coach Tom Izzo would be at the top of the list -- though Izzo has consistently rebuffed NBA overtures and is believed to be unlikely to leave East Lansing.

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