Doc Rivers said Friday that he is pulling for his good friend and former assistant Tom Thibodeau to receive a contract extension from the Chicago Bulls and be paid like "one of the elite coaches in this league."

The Bulls picked up the option this summer for the third and final year on Thibodeau's contract. Reports surfaced last season that Thibodeau, who led the Bulls to the No. 1 seed in the NBA in each of his two seasons, was unhappy that he had not received an extension. Bulls general manager Gar Forman said talks would resume after the 2011-12 season, but no extension has been announced.

Thibodeau has said publicly that he is fine with his contract situation, but Rivers said coaching on essentially a one-year deal can be tough for a coach.