ສິ່ງທີ່ Chicago Bulls ຕ້ອງເຮັດກັບ Coby White

The Chicago Bulls are exploring the trade market for Coby White and the 18th overall selection in the 2022 NBA draft, according to Jake Fischer from Bleacher Report.

White, who recently completed his third year in the league, is up for an extension this summer, and it appears unlikely that the Bulls have seen enough to justify handing him one. The 22-year-old has shown progress, and decent overall production, in his three years, but it has been with varying degrees of consistency.

Uncertainty about long-term upside

Coming into the NBA in 2019, White’s ability to shoot off the catch was a major pull during pre-draft chatter. He didn’t play a traditional brand of playmaking basketball for someone labeled a point guard, but his 6’5 frame and scoring ability made him an intriguing prospect in the mid-lottery nonetheless.

Of course, the Bulls – who picked White seventh overall – were hoping he’d round out his game as his career progressed. This season White did sport a series of improvements, such as defense, shot-selection, and passing, but failed to keep it going for long before reverting back to hunting shots outside the flow of the offense.

White’s best possible NBA role would be that of a spot-up scorer, who occasionally can self-create off the bounce. He’s the typical sixth man scorer, who can be relied upon to get a team 15 nightly points, but without the expectation of being much than just a scoring option off the bench.

In fairness to White, that role is there for the taking, and it does serve a purpose. He has proven to have a good enough knack for scoring that he should be able to somewhat easily carve out a 10-year career in the pro ranks for himself. Also, it’s likely his efficiency will increase as he ages, particularly if or when he embraces what he is, and what he isn’t on the court.

Teams in need of a proper playmaking point guard won’t have much interest in White, and likely be disinclined to offer anything of substance in a trade. Teams that need a scoring injection off the bench, and who have playmakers already on the roster, would be far more interested in bringing in an off-ball scorer to pair with backcourt mates who are inclined to set him up. Gone should be the days of having to create for himself, unless the dosage of that self-creation finds a better balance.

Unknown trade value

It’s difficult to gauge what White is worth on the trade market, for a variety of reasons. The aforementioned question marks hovering over his efficiency numbers and shot-selection are surely noted, but his contractual status also plays a part.

How many teams would engage the Bulls with serious offers, knowing full-well White is going to enter the 2023 summer as a restricted free agent? Of course, any team trading for him could extend him to a large contract, but that doesn’t affect his current trade value unless a bidding war forms, which doesn’t seem the case.

Usually, players with significant time left on their rookie contracts are the most valuable, as they won’t expire immediately and be cost-controlled assets as they fine-tune their game. For White to have contractual components hanging over his head isn’t helping anyone, and it’s further proof the Bulls should have moved him a year ago, after he came off a season starting near full-time.

The book on White is yet to be fully written, and that means his future could go either way. That level of uncertainty is however closely tied to his next contract. Will any team pony up $17-18 million annually for White? If they do, will that contract age well? If it doesn’t, how will that affect his future trade value? These are all questions potentially interested teams need to have educated guesses on before calling in a trade to the league office.

For the Bulls, moving off White won’t come with many downsides, even if he hits elsewhere. Rookie Ayo Dosunmu seems poised to take on a larger role next season, and pending improved health for both Lonzo Ball and Alex Caruso, it would have been difficult to even find the necessary minutes for White. And that’s before taking into account a potential return of Zach LaVine.

Instead, the Bulls should opt for positional optimization. Shop White for either a back-up center or back-up wing, if he has that kind of value, and focus on building a team that’s less guard-oriented. They might not win the trade from a raw perspective of talent, but they might be able to get a player in return who fits the current makeup of the team better.

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