CLEVELAND -- Michael Jordan helped build the Chicago Bulls into NBA champions once before. He doesn't seem to be in any hurry to try to do it again.

Jordan said Tuesday that he has no interest now in replacing Jerry Krause, who unexpectedly resigned as Chicago's general manager because of health problems.

"Washington is where I started and where I want to finish" as an executive, Jordan said at a morning shootaround before the Wizards' game at the Cavaliers. "It's unfortunate about Jerry. Obviously, his health is the most important thing."

Jordan plans to retire at the end of this season, and has indicated he will return to the Wizards' front office.

However, he is not contractually bound to Washington, and the GM opening in Chicago has led to more speculation Jordan will return to the Bulls. His family still lives in Chicago.

Jordan, though, says his mind is squarely on the Wizards, who entered Tuesday two games behind Milwaukee for the last playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

"Personally, I haven't thought about Chicago," he said. "I know people have asked in the past, 'What if?' I told them at the time that my focus has been here and will be here.

"I haven't talked to anyone on that staff. You guys are more or less getting things rolling. My focus is right now trying to get this team in the playoffs, and secondly, making sure this franchise is moving in the right direction."

Bulls radio analyst John Paxson and Krause assistant B.J. Armstrong have been mentioned as the top two candidates to succeed Krause, a team source told the Chicago Sun-Times. The possibility exists that Paxson and Armstrong will be named executive vice-presidents of basketball operations, the newspaper reported, with Paxson filling the traditional GM role and Armstrong largely handling personnel matters.

With Jordan leading the way on the floor, and Krause making the off-court moves, the Bulls won six titles in the 1990s.

But while the pair shared a desire to be the best, Jordan and Krause didn't always see eye-to-eye while they were together in Chicago from 1985-99.

Krause's personality clashed with many players, and he and Jordan ended on bad terms when the superstar retired for the second time before the lockout-shortened season of 1999.

After Jordan left, Krause dismantled the Bulls, who haven't been back to the playoffs since.

"We had good things there," Jordan said. "We had bad conversations, too. Before I got there, it was a wait-till-next-year attitude. Unfortunately, things went back to just trying to rebuild and get back on track, and they haven't been able to do that thus far."

Jordan always seemed to resent Krause's taking so much credit for building the Bulls into a winner. But he respected the GM's eye for talent and work ethic.

As he has tried to resurrect the Wizards, Jordan seems to have gained an appreciation for what Krause has struggled to do in Chicago. The Bulls have lost at least 60 games the past three seasons and are 27-50 this year.

"Knowing Jerry like I know Jerry, I think physically he's been trying to do everything he can to get this team back to winning," Jordan said. "The most important thing for him was to show that he could put together a winning franchise without Michael Jordan, without Scottie Pippen, without Phil Jackson or all these other guys.

"I know physically it's taken a toll. It's about time he started thinking about himself physically and I think everybody understands that."

Jordan has provided Cleveland fans with many memories -- mostly sour ones -- during his illustrious career. In 1989, he made "The Shot," a jumper over Craig Ehlo to win Game 5 and an Eastern Conference first-round series. One year later, he scored a career-high 69 points against Cleveland.

Saying goodbye to Jordan will be easy for Cavs fans.

"I have some great memories here, and I'd like to leave here on a good note -- with a win," he said. "Obviously, no one likes to be beaten by one person so many times. Unfortunately, Cleveland has been that.

"But they've had their good times, too. They had some great teams and some great rivalries between the two of us. Both of us are at a point where we're trying to re-establish ourselves back to those winnings days."

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.