John Paxson Isn't Going Anywhere

You know, it's our fault.

Here we were, feeling slightly optimistic about the Bulls' future. They did, after all, do everything they wanted to at the trade deadline, beyond the obvious lack of Amare Stoudemire in Bulls jersey. Fine. Whatever. The Bulls, for once, made a series of financially savvy moves that not only make them better as a team, but prepare them to cash in on the LeBron James/Dwyane Wade/Carmelo Anthony/Chris Bosh free agent class of 2010. Things were sure looking up.We should have known better.

The whole time, it seemed unlikely GM John Paxson was actually at the helm. After all, it was just last week that numerous outlets reported Paxson was essentially a lame duck in his position, and whether he chose to resign now or after the season, he would be gone one way or the other. Gar Forman, Paxson's director of player personnel, had appeared to take the reins; Paxson appeared to be little more than an expired era.

Sigh. Not so fast.

"I don't feel an obligation to have to respond every time something comes up about me or a trade, and so I left it alone," Paxson said. "I'm the GM of the Bulls. I'm not resigning. I'm here. I'm going to be here. That puts an end to it."

You read correctly: Paxson isn't going anywhere. Not now. Maybe not ever. Is it possible to appoint oneself GM For Life? Is John Paxson the Bulls' Mobutu?

One of two situations is at work here:

1) At the time of the reports, Paxson genuinely wanted to resign, but a trade for Brad Miller and John Salmons has reinvigorated his interest in the future of the Chicago Bulls, or
2) Someone in the Bulls front office talks very much and knows very little.

Either way, it's not good, because the end result is that Paxson -- the man whose litany of weird GM moves culminated in a week where Bulls fans were merely happy to get Brad Miller -- is going to be around for the forseeable future. Can you tell how excited this makes us?

Eamonn Brennan is a writer, editor and blogger hunkered down in Lincoln Park. You can also read him at Yahoo! Sports, FanHouse, MOUTHPIECE Sports Blog, and Inside The Hall, or at his personal site, eamonnbrennan.com.