Getty Coby White
Before the NBA Trade Deadline in February 2022, the Chicago Bulls will almost certainly make some sort of move tp acquire a power forward.
The question is: what will Chicago give up to fill the size void? Arguably, the Bulls’ greatest trade asset is 21-year-old Coby White. After spending much of the beginning of the season on the shelf recovering from shoulder surgery, White has returned to the lineup.
He started in the Bulls’ lopsided loss to the Indiana Pacers for the injured Alex Caruso. White has had one strong performance since coming back from injury, but he’s mostly struggled to find his flow. Even with his early problems finding a niche, at least one analyst isn’t ready to ship him off in a trade.
Bleacher Report’s Greg Swartz thinks the Bulls should hold onto White. Swartz wrote:
With the Chicago Bulls’ new core playing beautifully together and second-year forward Patrick Williams expected to miss the rest of the regular season with a dislocated wrist, Coby White almost becomes the Bulls’ best trade asset by default. The 21-year-old guard recently returned following surgery on a torn labrum and should soon become Chicago’s primary offensive threat off the bench. While the team might have intended to make him its franchise point guard when it selected him seventh overall in 2019, the 6’4″ White has looked better as a combo guard who can both score and set the table for others. With Lonzo Ball serving as the team’s starting point guard and Alex Caruso manning the floor general spot in the second unit, White could turn into a Jordan Clarkson-like microwave scorer with time. The Bulls should hold on to him and see how he fits as a sixth man with this improved roster.
Trade or Keep: Keep
It will be interesting to see if anyone waffles on their takes on White’s expendability.
Coby White Has Struggled Early in His Return
In his 5 games this season, White has played 15.6 minutes per contest. In those opportunities, White is only averaging 4 points per game along with 1.2 assists.
He has really struggled finding his shooting touch. He’s only made 25% of his shots from the field, 21% three-point shooting and 50% from free throws.
Obviously, the Bulls are expecting White to ultimately make a bigger impact.
How Else Can the Bulls Fill the PF Void?
If the Bulls are unwilling to trade White, they could look at moving Patrick Williams. That concept is probably more apt to generate even more pushback from Bulls Nation than the idea of moving White.
However, Williams would bring back an even bigger return for a prospective team. If the Bulls don’t want to give up any of their major assets, they could also look at sending guys like Troy Brown Jr., Matt Thomas and Derrick Jones Jr. elsewhere.
Parting ways with DJJ might cause an uproar unless it was a necessary piece of a trade that brought a near-star to Chicago. If the Bulls don’t want to make any trades, they will have to search for a veteran free agent big who is either bought out or simply a free-agent waiting for an opportunity.
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