Bulls lobbying NBA for more time

CHICAGO, IL — With a little more than a week left until the 2008 NBA Draft, indications are that the Chicago Bulls are in full-fledged panic mode.

A source with the team confirmed to SSNN that the franchise has petitioned the NBA to move the draft back “just a month or two,” to give the franchise proper time to make a decision on who to select with the number one pick.

“It’s like a disaster area here,” the source said. “Jerry [Reinsdorf, Chairman of the Board] and Pax [GM John Paxson] have only been given a month or so to decide between two players, which is completely unfair. We need six to ten months for a decision like this, and we hope the NBA can understand. I mean, it took over a month to settle on Vinny Del Negro, and this is a much bigger decision.”

The Bulls have already worked out potential number one pick Michael Beasley, and they plan on doing the same with Derrick Rose on Thursday. After that, the source said Reinsdorf would like to hold personal workouts for another 50 or so players.

The source added Reinsdorf would also like to mull over the decision for at least an additional month after holding the workouts.

Paxson was unavailable for comment, as he was stuck under Reinsdorf’s thumb. SSNN’s source said he’s not sure which player Paxson favors, because he has not heard the GM speak off the record for two years.

No word yet on whether the NBA will grant the Bulls their request, though it does seem doubtful.

“If we continue to cater to the Bulls’ schedule, the 2008-09 NBA season will not begin until sometime around 2011,” said Commissioner David Stern. “I’m not yet sure that’s a sacrifice we’re willing to make, though I do empathize with the Bulls. As their fans have seen over the past 10 years, it can be pretty hard not to screw something like this up.”

It’s going to be tough for this sport to sweep any nations, but it’s still pretty frickin’ cool!