Bulls Rumors: 76ers' Ime Udoka 'Likely' to Get a Look in Head Coaching Search

The Chicago Bulls and their new leadership of executive new vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas and general manager Marc Eversley reportedly have interest in Philadelphia 76ers assistant head coach Ime Udoka as a potential replacement for current head coach Jim Boylen.

According to to Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic, Udoka and Toronto Raptors assistant Adrian Griffin "are standing out as increasingly possible Boylen replacements whenever the job may open."

It seems likely that Karnisovas and Eversley will eventually bring in their own head coach at some point in the next year.

As Mayberry reported, "Multiple rival executives who spoke to The Athletic on the condition of anonymity anticipate that is what the Bulls eventually will do, whether in the coming days or whenever the NBA announces plans for continuing or canceling its interrupted regular season."

Udoka, 42, served as an assistant coach under Gregg Popovich in San Antonio for seven seasons before being hired by another former Popovich assistant, Sixers head coach Brett Brown, ahead of the 2019-20 campaign. Udoka has served as Brown's lead assistant in Philly. 

Udoka also spent seven seasons as a player in the NBA with the Los Angeles Lakers, New York Knicks, Portland Trail Blazers and the Spurs, averaging 5.2 points and 1.9 rebounds per game in his career. 

Udoka would likely be up for the challenge of being a head coach. 

"A different challenge is always exciting to me," he told Jabari Young of The Athletic when he took the Sixers job in July. "I'm not the type that gets nervous and worries about a new situation. I always look at it as a chance to grow and seeing different situations, and all that will help me going forward."

At the time, Young reported that Udoka taking the lead assistant gig in Philly was about "growth and gaining more experience in preparation of becoming an NBA head coach in the coming years. It's been Udoka's goal since the beginning of his coaching career, which started in San Antonio back in 2012."

It's possible he'll get that opportunity in Chicago, where he would be reuniting with Eversley, who previously worked in Philadelphia's front office. And he'd have a chance to work with an enticing young core, led by Zach LaVine, Lauri Markkanen, Coby White, Otto Porter Jr. and Wendell Carter Jr.