For the record, both Derrick Rose and Tom Thibodeau are perfectly fine with Keith Bogans returning to the Bulls as the team's starting shooting guard. It's everybody else who seemingly has a problem with it.
NBA teams were permitted to contact agents of free-agent players starting Wednesday morning and the Bulls didn't hesitate to get in touch with the representatives for multiple wing players -- a varied list of players that included Caron Butler, Grant Hill, Nick Young and even Bogans; veteran big man Kurt Thomas, who is reportedly also being pursued by the Knicks, was also reached out to -- sparking even more speculation that Bogans won't return or if he does, will be employed in a more limited capacity. Butler, in particular, is rumored to be seriously considering the Bulls, as the Racine, Wis., native spends a lot of time working out in Chicago during his offseasons.
For Thibodeau's part, he appreciated the talents of Bogans far more than most fans, who judged him for his lack of scoring prowess, without factoring in what the veteran brought to the table in terms of intangibles or on the defensive end of the floor.
"Keith had a great year for us, so the things that he brought to our team were things that I thought he would bring to our team. He played his role perfectly. Great defense, guarded twos, threes, was tough, physical, shot 38 [percent] from three, took spot-ups -- he did his job, so I have no problems with Keith at all. He was a very valuable member of our team," said the coach. "There's a lot of things that you're weighing and looking at, but I think everyone knows how I feel about Keith."
Added Rose: "Keith's my guy. I'm rolling with Keith."
Unfortunately for Bogans, his fate with the Bulls doesn't rest in the hands of the league's MVP or Coach of the Year. Instead, another NBA award-winner from last season -- Executive of the Year Gar Forman, the Bulls general manager, as well as executive vice president John Paxson -- will make the final decision.
