Current ABC analyst Mark Jackson will interview on Wednesday for the heading coach position with the Bulls, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.

They will likely meet in Los Angeles despite his rumored status as the leading candidate for the same job in New York.

Jackson met with Donnie Walsh in Phoenix last week.

Mark Jackson, considered the front-runner for the head coaching vacancy with the Knicks, is set to discuss the same job with the Bulls this week, according to the Chicago Tribune.

Bulls general manager John Paxson initially contacted Jackson last week about meeting with him for an interview.

Jackson has maintained that his preference would be to take over the helm of the Knicks, but appears to be keeping his options open.

Paxson has a number of candidates on his list, but will have to wait for several teams to be eliminated from the postseason in order to schedule interviews.

With the Raptors on the verge of being eliminated from the playoffs, there is speculation that GM Bryan Colangelo may make a move, with Head Coach Sam Mitchell possibly becoming a casualty of a poor end to the season, Marc Berman of the New York Post is reporting.

Colangelo has not hired a coach in Toronto, and should D'Antoni be cut loose in Phoenix he may be a target.

Donnie Walsh and the Knicks, meanwhile, would appear to be interested if Mitchell hits the open market. Walsh was poised to interview Mitchell last season while with the Pacers when it appeared that Toronto would not renew his contract.

Mark Jackson, who still appears to be the favorite with the Knicks, is expected to talk to the Bulls Wednesday.

Two separate league sources claim that the Bulls' coaching position is Rick Carlisle's to lose, K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune is reporting.

According to the report, Paxson has spoken with Carlisle and told him that he is still collecting background information on other candidates, which are believed to include Michael Curry, Tom Thibodeau, and former Wolves' coach Dwayne Casey.  

Sources said Casey is expected to interview with Paxson, while Carlisle has discussed targeting Casey as his lead assistant if he should land the Bulls' job.

A new rumor had the Bulls showing interest in Michigan State coach Tom Izzo. Izzo emphasized the team hadn't contacted him.

The Chicago Bulls have contacted Mark Jackson about their vacant coaching position, but it is not yet known whether he'll interview for the job, according to the New York Daily News.

New York's Donnie Walsh plans to meet with Jackson within the next week, and it is believed that Walsh could introduce the former point guard as the Knicks' next coach within the next ten days.

Ben Gordon and Luol Deng conducted their exit interviews with General Manager John Paxson and left believing that they'll remain with the Bulls through the summer, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.

Gordon and Deng both turned down five-year contract extensions worth $50 million last fall and will become restricted free agents on July 1st.

"I didn't get any indication from Pax that I wasn't in the plans," Gordon said. "The organization knows what I'm capable of, so if they feel that I'm a piece that they need, they'll make the necessary moves."

"I feel like I'm in their plans," Deng said. "But with this league, you never know."

John Paxson said he would like to call some potential new coaches about the vacancy in Chicago, but according to one prominent agent, plenty of candidates called Paxson on their own, writes K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune.

Paxson is stressing to prospective candidates or their agents that the new coach will have to fit the team.

"This is still a business of developing guys you have," Paxson said. "We can't just abandon that. And we're not going to. We're going to try to get our guys better and turn it around."

"It's good to find out how people are going to use your guys and what they think their strengths are. I want to have a guy who believes he's going to get these guys to play. Part of being a really good coach is putting your players in position to succeed. What do they do well? Let's find a way to bring those out on the floor."

John Paxson's search for a head coach will involve many of the typical names like Rick Carlisle and Jeff Van Gundy, but assistants such as Tom Thibodeau and Michael Curry are also on the list, as well as retreads like Paul Westphal and Dwane Casey.

Larry Brown, Mike Fratello, and Terry Porter aren't expected to draw interest from the Bulls, but Avery Johnson and Mark Jackson could become candidates.

"I want to be able to explore different candidates and listen to different philosophies on how to play in regards to our personnel," Paxson said.

"We've had a lot of guys who have been here for a while now. I have a certain feeling about them. It will be good to see if other people think the same way I do or if there are other ways to use our players.

"I certainly have to feel comfortable with the person. It has to be somebody I can work with and share my philosophy of how I like to see the game played. But it's open-ended right now. I'm just beginning to consider who I might want to talk to."

Chicago Bulls Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations John Paxson issued the following statement regarding the team?s decision to relieve Interim Head Coach Jim Boylan today:

?Letting a coach go is never easy. Jim was put in a difficult position on Dec. 27, without the luxury of having a training camp and with some of the issues that arose during his time as head coach. I think during the time he coached this year, Jim showed he is very capable in that role and I hope he gets that opportunity again in the future. He certainly has the tools it takes to succeed at this level. I want to thank Jim for accepting the challenge during a difficult year and I wish him all the best.?

Boylan, 52, took over the head coaching duties on an interim basis on Dec. 27, 2007, and directed the Bulls to a 24-32 (.429) record in his 56 games at the helm.

In a season surrounded by turmoil, it seems ironic that the last game of the season for the Chicago Bulls would not pass without some drama.

According to K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune, when the team got to the United Center for shootaround ahead of Wednesday night's game against the Raptors at 4:30 pm, one person was missing.  Rookie Joakim Noah was a no show until around 6:20.

According to the report, Noah had flown to New York with the team's permission on his day off because of the death of a close friend. But, he had not returned to Chicago on time.