Tom Thibodeau has no plans of stepping away from the $9 million owed to him by the Chicago Bulls over the next two seasons.

Both Thibodeau and the Bulls appear to prefer a separation this offseason.

Gar Forman and John Paxson, however, are not willing to fire Thibodeau and allow him to leave without compensation. The Bulls are not even prepared to engage in compensation talks until they have a commitment from a replacement that excites them.

Fred Hoiberg is the Bulls' preferred choice, as he's seen of being capable of fixing their offense. Hoiberg is only two years into a 10-year, $20 million contract at Iowa State.

"He can leave whenever he wants," one front-office source said. "Why now?"

The New Orleans Pelicans, Denver Nuggets and Orlando Magic all have coaching vacancies.