Scottie Pippen told Bulls general manager John Paxson Thursday he would like to spend the weekend pondering his free-agent options.

Paxson's response: "We'll wait."

The decision proved how badly Paxson wants Pippen to return to the Bulls. By waiting through the weekend, Paxson will allow the Bulls' second choice at small forward, Atlanta's Ira Newble, to get away.

"Scottie's assured me that by the end of the weekend, he'll have an answer for us and the teams interested in him," Paxson said. "I think he's the right fit for our team, so I'm willing to wait him out."

Newble's agent, Steve Kaufman, said his client will choose between Cleveland and Memphis today. According to Kaufman, Newble wanted to join the Bulls and might have been willing to accept a shorter contract to play in Chicago, but believes it is too big a risk to delay his decision.

Newble doesn't want to make Cleveland wait because the Cavs are also thought to be courting Clippers shooting guard Eric Piatkowski. Kaufman said Paxson did not pressure him to put off his decision until Pippen made up his mind.