Former Top 10 Pick Could Be Playing Final Game With Bulls

Stacy Revere/Getty Images Coby White

The Chicago Bulls’ injury issues continue to pile up. On Tuesday the team announced that rookie Ayo Dosunmu has entered concussion protocols and will miss Wednesday night’s game at the Charlotte Hornets.

It’s unclear when Dosunmu’s concussion occurred, but according to NBC Sports Chicago, the play might’ve occurred during Sunday’s game at the Philadelphia 76ers.

Dosunmu played 37 minutes on Sunday against the 76ers and 33 minutes on Monday against the Suns but experienced two plays against the 76ers in which it appeared he took contact to the head.

First, Dosunmu dunked in transition while absorbing a foul from Andre Drummond, which forced Dosunmu to smash into the basket stanchion. In the third quarter, Dosunmu and Matt Thomas directly butted heads while both pursuing a loose ball.

The injury is just the latest for the Bulls, who have been without Patrick Williams, Alex Caruso, and Lonzo Ball for extended periods of time. Zach Lavine also returned on Tuesday after missing the two previous games.

With Dosunmu out on Wednesday night, the expectation is that Coby White will get the start in his place. But with the trade deadline looming on Thursday, there’s a chance White could be suiting up for Chicago for the final time.

White This Season

White has played in 34 games so far this season and has started 11 of those games. His play has been solid averaging 12.9 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game this season. He’s also been a solid shooter from three-point range at 36.5% on the season.

There has been some regression in White’s production this season though. Last season he averaged 15.1 points, 4.8 assists, and 4.1 rebounds.

Some of White’s struggles could be attributed to the fact that he is returning from a shoulder injury, that required surgery to repair his left labrum. He’s also now in a more crowded backcourt with the additions of Ball, Caruso, and Dosunmu.

That crowded backcourt is why some believe that White could be a possible trade piece for the Bulls before Thursday’s trade deadline.

Trade Deadline

If the Bulls were to make a significant move at the deadline, it’s likely that White would be a part of it. He’s one of the team’s best young assets and has become more expendable because of the Bulls’ depth in the backcourt and their glaring needs in other areas.

Reports have already suggested that the Bulls have made an offer to the Celtics for Dennis Schroder. It’s expected that if that deal came to fruition then White would probably be on the move in a separate trade.

Another area of weakness for the Bulls has been their lack of size on the interior. The Bulls were reportedly interested in acquiring Spurs center Jakob Poeltl. The Spurs already have some talented guards, but it’s possible that they’d still be interested in White in a possible trade.

The Bulls have been mostly silent about their trade plans and there really hasn’t been much smoke around the team. With the team still struggling defensively and lacking contributing size on the interior, it will be interesting to see what they decide to do before Thursday.

If the Bulls do feel the need to make a trade then White could be starting his last game with the team.