It’s no secret Scottie Pippen and Jerry Krause had a complex relationship.
Krause’s acquiring of Pippen in a 1987 draft-day trade is one of his most lauded moves, and was born out of a deep, genuine infatuation with his game. Pippen became a star, though an underpaid one, at that, signing a long-term extension with the Bulls shortly before the league's salary cap spiked to unprecedented levels in the 1990s.
Pippen sought to renegotiate his contract to pay him what he was worth — he was the 122nd highest-paid player in the league in the 1997-98 season.