Despite some indications that the trade waters have settled around the United Center, the Chicago Bulls continue to come up in rumors just hours before Thursday’s 2:00 p.m. CT deadline.
Nikola Vucevic remains the primary focus. While the big man told reports following Chicago’s loss to Minnesota that he expects to wake up in Chicago on Friday morning, he found himself linked to the Golden State Warriors again hours later. The Warriors made a splash for Jimmy Butler on Wednesday night, but they still possess the kind of expiring contracts that could make another big move work.
Regardless, Vucevic isn’t the only Bull who has come up this morning. Coby White has reportedly been a topic of conversation over the last week, per SNY’s Ian Begley:
“Orlando was among a group of teams talking to Chicago about Coby White earlier this week, per sources familiar with the matter,” Begley wrote.
With the Bulls re-signing Lonzo Ball less than 24 hours ago and the organization on the brink of adding Tre Jones into the mix, the Bulls remain overflowing at the guard position. Could an opportunity to consolidate present itself over the next couple of hours? Would getting rid of White – who is one of the team’s better under-25 talents – be a smart move?
It sure sounds like opposing teams are presenting those questions to the Bulls in the lead-up to the deadline.
Will the Bulls Find a Last-Second Deal for Coby White?
As we have discussed several times before, trading Coby White has to be on the table for the Chicago Bulls. Nobody on this roster should be untouchable, and White is the kind of player who could net a now-rebuilding organization a legitimately valuable return.
He is still only 24 years old and among the NBA’s top high-volume shooters. He is currently shooting 37.5 percent from downtown on a career-high 8.2 attempts per game. We have also seen his all-around game take a significant step in the right direction over the last year-plus. White has improved tremendously as a ball-handler and decision-maker, proving that he can play both on and off the ball at a high level.
Now, could you make the case that these are all reasons the Bulls should keep him around? Absolutely, especially when we consider he has even more room to grow. But Chicago also has to be realistic about where they stand as a franchise.
White only has one year remaining on his current contract, and he is far outperforming his $12.0 million AAV. With that being the case, there is an extremely high likelihood he will enter unrestricted free agency in 2026 and demand a sizable new contract. The Bulls could try to extend him, but they’re only allowed to start that offer at 140 percent of the $12.9 million he makes next season. In other words, far under what White could demand in the open market
So are the Bulls prepared to pay him the big bucks or potentially risk losing him for nothing? If not, now is another opportunity for the franchise to do something they have continuously dodged … sell high!
We may not know what teams are offering right now, but the fact multiple are calling tells us they have a clear market to exploit. Especially with the reality of the deadline setting in, this could be the perfect time to pounce!
For what it’s worth, I’ve long thought Coby White makes a ton of sense for Orlando. He would fit perfectly into their pre-existing timeline alongside Paolo Banchero and Franz Wanger, as well as provide them with a perimeter scoring ability they desperately need. Orlando is dead-last in the NBA in both three-point makes per game and three-point percentage. They also sit just 28th in assists per game and 29th in PACE, per NBA Stats. White can help completely change the dynamic of their offense, adding a reliable shooter and transition threat.
I would certainly say it’s unlikely we see White moves over the next few hours, but we can never say never. Also, these deadline conversations can always be a precursor for offseason negotiations. Remember all the Lonzo Ball noise at the 2021 deadline? Again, the Bulls are going to have to make some decisions at the guard position soon enough, so I’d expect White’s name to remain a mainstay in the trade conversation moving forward.
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