NEWSLETTER
On the morning of the 2022 NBA Draft, the rumors around Coby White are still going strong.
Both Sports Illustrated’s Jeremy Woo and ESPN’s Jonathan Givony continue to report in their latest mock drafts that the Bulls could be prepared to move the 22-year-old former-lottery pick alongside the No. 18 pick later tonight. Woo directly states the Bulls have engaged in trade discussions, while Givony notes that rival teams believe the organization’s front office is not in love with the likely options in the late-teens.
All things considered, I find it hard to believe Arturas Karnisovas and Co. are unhappy with the talent in the mid-first round. Not only are there several players who possess the kind of size and versatility that they seem to covet, but there are multiple guys who could be ready to contribute to winning basketball ASAP. What isn’t hard to believe, however, is that the Bulls would still consider a trade.
White and No. 18 could be the front office’s best way to add a veteran talent to the roster this offseason. The looming free-agent class is a bit bland, and we all know the Bulls are not set to have a ton of spending power anyway. The only problem with seeking out a deal right now is that we don’t know how rival teams view Coby White’s current value. But, instead of getting into all of that here, I’ll point you in the direction of our post from Wednesday night:
You can read our original post on the Coby White trade rumor from June 14th below:
Thanks to some recent, aggressive moves (and a hefty paycheck likely headed into Zach LaVine’s bank account), the Chicago Bulls will have limited resources this summer.
That isn’t the best news for a team that proved to still have some serious holes during a swift, five-game exit in the first round of the playoffs. But you’ve got to play the cards you’re dealt, and it sure sounds like the Bulls’ front office leader is ready to do just that.
Arturas Karnisovas has shown all of us he isn’t afraid to take trade calls in the past, which is why it didn’t come as a big surprise when we learned that rival executives expected him to explore moving the No. 18 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft. And now, that rumor has only gained more steam thanks to Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer, who reported on Tuesday that “Chicago is actively discussing the No. 18 pick and Coby White with rival teams.“
YOU HAVE MY ATTENTION.
First, I do want to remind everyone that the Bulls would not be able to greenlight this trade until they select a player off the board at No. 18. The NBA prohibits teams from trading future first-round picks in back-to-back drafts, and the Bulls dealt both their 2021 and 2023 first-rounders to the Orlando Magic in the Nikola Vucevic trade.
With that said, determining Coby White’s future is surely near the top of the Bulls’ to-do list this summer. Not only is the 22-year-old up for a rookie contract extension, but he’s also coming off another frustrating campaign. The way in which White can help an NBA team has been clear since he’s entered the league. He is a naturally streaky scorer whose 3-point stroke has improved each season of his career. The only problem is that he remains arguably one of the most hot-and-cold talents in the league.
For a Bulls team with so few assets and so little margin for error, they might not be able to wait around for White to find a more consistent game. Not to mention, No. 38th-overall pick Ayo Dosunmu looked like a more than serviceable backup guard in his rookie campaign, potentially diminishing the need for White’s services. So the notion that the Bulls could package White alongside the No. 18 pick doesn’t at all feel like a crazy theory. In fact, it sounds like a package that could potentially net a solid, instant-impact role player.
But is that really worth it? While I’d surely like to see what White’s value is around the league, we’re also dealing with a pretty deep draft. The No. 18 pick could net a truly solid young player at a position of need for the Bulls – one who could prove even more valuable over the years on a rookie deal.
I guess we’ll just have to trust Karnisovas’ gut on this one. If he doesn’t see a player worth taking in the late-teens, then White + No. 18 could be one of the best ways to add shooting/size/rim protection to this roster.
Make sure to read Fischer’s full article below (he touches on a ton more):
