Bulls general manager John Paxson sat in his Berto Center office Saturday, hours before he made his weekly visit to 5 p.m. mass with his family.

Then came a phone call that answered his prayers and gave him plenty for which to give thanks.

An old friend and teammate spoke on the other end, and did so in that familiar deep voice that carries with it the ring of authority.

"Pax," Scottie Pippen said, "I'm signing."

The official announcement won't come until Sunday, but several team and league sources confirmed that Pippen has accepted Paxson's offer to rejoin the franchise that he helped lead to six championships.

Pippen will sign a guaranteed two-year contract worth $10.3 million, giving the Bulls the veteran leadership Paxson sought from the day he took over as general manager.

"A lot of people think we're trying to relive the past," Paxson said, insisting he'd talk only in general terms about Pippen. "I'm looking at this as the best move for our future. What Scottie can give us on the floor is immeasurable."

Pippen, reached on his cell phone, confirmed his intention to sign with the Bulls, but said he didn't want to elaborate on a statement the team will release Sunday.

"I don't want to have a press conference," Pippen said. "The statement is the way I wanted to do it."