Chris Sheridan throws this out in his chat today:

If Kobe Bryant continues to say no to the extension the Lakers are offering him, and if Phil Jackson starts to talk as though he’s leaving, Chicago comes onto the radar in a big, big way. Remember, when Kobe was trying to force a trade two and a half years ago, the Bulls were the team working most diligently to get him — right up until two days before the season-opener.

Phil Jackson’s status does have a lot of pull on players — his zen-like qualities and terrific track record will do that. And if he’s not cool with Dr. Buss handing the team over to his son instead of Jackson’s girlfriend, Jeanie, and decides to bolt after this year, it’s plausible Kobe could move on.

Bryant does have one year and $24 million left on his contract after this season, and he has yet to sign an extension with the Lakers. He can use his early-termination clause this summer on that though, and become an unrestricted free agent, meaning the Bulls could potentially sign him. So even though he’s not ever listed in potential big-mane free agents this summer with Bosh/LBJ/Wade/Stoudemire, he technically should be.

But there’s a reason why he’s not: no one expects him to invoke the early-termination clause.

Yet, provided things head south in L.A., Jackson bolts and Bryant becomes disgruntled, it’s possible. But there are a lot of ifs here, and with the Lakers likely to grab the top seed in the West again, unless a lot of things fall together in a row that would make Kobe think otherwise about his future with the Lakers, him in a Bulls uniform isn’t that likely right now.