The Orlando Magic are without a head coach, and they've been slow in searching for one. That may be because they're waiting to see if Chicago Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau becomes a free agent, according to the Orlando Sentinel's Josh Robbins.
Almost two and a half weeks have elapsed since the regular season ended, and yet, by all accounts, the Magic haven't interviewed anyone for the job.
Why the wait?
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The theory mentioned most often revolves around current Chicago Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau. The league observers speculate that the Magic want to see whether the Bulls and Thibodeau will part ways after the Bulls conclude their playoff run.
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If the Magic indeed want to see whether Thibodeau becomes available, the Magic know the Bulls' postseason run might last into mid-June.
In that worst-case scenario, interviewing candidates such as [Scott] Skiles or [Scott] Brooks now would subject those candidates to a potentially long, potentially embarrassing wait while the Magic wait for the Bulls' postseason to end.
Thibodeau has had lots of success with the Bulls, but rumors of a rift with the front office have been out there for a long time. If he's available and the Magic are interested, it's logical they'd wait. He's a defensive genius and a former Coach of the Year. The only problem is that they might take themselves out of the running for somebody else.
Let's say they're interested in Brooks, whose time with the Oklahoma City Thunder showed he could work well with young talent. He seems like he'd fit in Orlando, but perhaps the Denver Nuggets -- the only other team with a vacancy -- decide to have serious talks with him. At that point, the Magic would have to figure out whether or not it's worth it to wait around in case Thibodeau gets fired. For now, it appears they'll be patient.
