Getty Kenyon Martin Jr.
At some point, you’d have to think the Chicago Bulls will trade Coby White.
The team has an abundance of guards with Lonzo Ball (if healthy), Zach LaVine, Goran Dragic, Ayo Dosunmu, and Alex Caruso.
If Chicago is healthy (a big if), there just isn’t a ton of minutes available for White. The 22-year-old is too talented and valuable for the Bulls not to get something back for him. Early attempts to move White didn’t render attractive offers. Perhaps the Bulls could find a fit for him on a young team looking to clear as much salary as possible.
White can be a free agent after this season, though his deal has a team option following the 2022-23 campaign. The Houston Rockets might be the right fit for such a deal. Here is a proposed deal that works financially and makes sense for both teams.
- Bulls Get: Kenyon Martin Jr., David Nwaba, and a 2024 second-round pick
- Rockets Get: Coby White and second a 2025 second-round pick
What’s In it For the Bulls?
Martin would be the biggest potential get for the Bulls. The 21-year-old son of former NBA All-Star Kenyon Martin is a budding stretch-4 with impressive athleticism and a developing three-point shot.
Martin recently asked to be traded after the Rockets drafted Smith as he may see himself in a situation similar to White in Chicago. In Martin’s second NBA season, he played in 79 games (2 starts) he averaged 8.8 points, 3.8 rebounds, and made just under 36% of his threes. Martin is a little smallish for the 4 spot at 6-foot-6, but that appears to be the style Chicago wants to go after for the power forward position.
There’s a chance Martin could be a solid fit to back up Patrick Williams. As of now, the Bulls don’t have a strong candidate to back up Williams. Derrick Jones (6-foot-5) is even smaller than Martin, and Javonte Green is even shorter at 6-foot-4.
Nwaba is a throw-in to make things work financially, but the ever-scrappy was a bit of a fan favorite during his first stint with the Bulls. He was affectionately referred to as “Demolition Man” by Bulls announcer Stacey King.
The 29-year-old’ athleticism and strength allow him to defend and play bigger than his 6-foot-5 frame. Nwaba doesn’t back down from anyone, and he had arguably the best season of his career with the Bulls during the 2017-18 season. Nwaba played 70 games that year with 21 starts, averaging 7.9 points per contest.
If he could provide some minutes at either forward spot, toughness, and veteran leadership, Nwaba could be an excellent addition to the Bulls’ bench.
Both Martin and Nwaba are set to be free agents after the 2023-24 season.
What’s In It For The Rockets?
The Rockets have an extremely young core with Jabari Smith, Jalen Green, and perhaps Kevin Porter Jr. Like the Bulls, the Rockets have a lot of guards, but White would be arguably the most accomplished of the bunch. Still, he figures to be in a reserve role on this team.
The Rockets want to clear as much cap space as possible as they continue to rebuild. White coming off the books at the end of the season should be attractive to the Rockets. Houston could shed the additional salary owed to Martin (partially guaranteed) to Martin and Nwaba while getting a motivated White for a season without disturbing their rebuilding plans.
Houston could sign and trade White if he has a strong season to procure even more assets from the deal once everything is said and done.
This trade may not light the lamp for Bulls fans today, but it is the kind of realistic trade that could help fill out the roster while allowing Chicago to add a youthful, athletic player with some upside like Martin.