The Chicago Bulls didn’t merely get the ball rolling on Sunday night, they shot it out of a cannon down the side of Mt. Everest.
After years of complacency, Arturas Karnisovas finally pressed the reset button and traded franchise cornerstone Zach LaVine. While the haul will have its skeptics, the message it sends is something that the majority can get behind – a rebuild is transpiring in Chicago.
This message became especially clear in the minutes after the trade news broke. Numerous reporters close to the organization shared that the Bulls’ front office isn’t done pursuing trades ahead of Thursday’s deadline. One of those reporters was K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network, who continued to stress that the Bulls are working to strike more deals after the franchise officially announced the LaVine trade on Monday.
More specifically, Johnson shared on the site formerly known as Twitter that “there’s optimism for a Lonzo Ball trade in which draft capital would be acquired.” While no one doubted that the Bulls would listen to offers on Ball and his expiring contract, whether or not anyone would actually come calling was always a fair question. Ball’s injury history speaks for itself, and this makes giving up nearly anything for him a pretty big risk. This is particularly true when we consider he will hit unrestricted free agency this offseason.
At the same time, Ball’s comeback campaign has been a complete success thus far. He has looked surprisingly like his former self on both sides of the court. Whether it be his high-IQ passing, smooth shooting stroke, or defensive versatility, Ball will effortlessly slide into almost any playoff rotation. Indeed, teams want any leg up they can get come the postseason, and Ball is a potential difference-maker who can be acquired for cheap.
The Bulls should be happy to get practically anything in return, even if that is just one or two second-round picks. And, if I had to guess, this is the exact kind of draft capital Johnson is insinuating. Anything helps during a rebuild!
Could the Bulls Trade Coby White?
If it’s first-round draft picks the Bulls want, there is one player who can surely help them achieve that. Coby White has not been mentioned much in the rumor mill, but this very well could change over the next couple of days. ESPN’s Bobby Marks spoke about the Bulls on Monday’s episode of NBA Today, and he specifically named White as a player to watch moving forward.
“Here are three names to keep an eye on when we get going for the trade deadline: Lonzo Ball, Nikola Vucevic, and certainly Coby White. Look for Chicago to keep building up their draft assets that they have started to accumulate in this Zach LaVine trade,” Marks said on ESPN.
We have known for quite some time that the Bulls are open for business and ready to sell, but a Coby White trade would take that to the next level. The 24-year-old has made significant strides over the last two seasons in his ball-handling and decision-making. He is among the NBA’s best high-volume three-point shooters and has the all-around scoring chops to easily average 20+ points a night in the right environment. Even better, White is on a team-friendly deal that makes him only $12.0 million a year!
So does all of that mean he can be a nice piece for the Bulls’ rebuild? Absolutely … but it also means he is probably worth more on the trade market than anyone else in Chicago. If the Bulls’ primary goal is to have more darts to throw at the draft board, moving White isn’t a bad idea. Let’s also not forget that – because of his extremely inexpensive contract – he could find himself in unrestricted free agency after the 2025-26 season. If the Bulls aren’t ready to pay him the big bucks, now is the time to sell high on White.
Is this a trade I expect to get done? No, but the fact Marks included his name makes me think the door is cracked a little further open than I thought.
Flipping the Newbies?
The Chicago have added Kevin Huerter, Zach Collins, and Tre Jones in the deal for Zach LaVine. While a case could be made for this rebuilding team to keep all three, we also shouldn’t forget that the Bulls could reroute any of them to another team over the next few days.
For what it’s worth, K.C. Johnson has already reported that the Bulls are considering flipping either Jones or Huerter to a new team. Moving Huerter would surprise me considering he has struggled this season and is owed a hefty $17.0+ million next season. Trading him may have to be something the front office revisits after attempting to bolster his value.
As for Jones, he is on an expiring deal and owed only $9.1 million this season. As much as I like him as a potential building block, the Bulls don’t want to risk losing him for nothing in unrestricted free agency. If a team is willing to fork over a different young player or stash of second-round picks – and I’d assume some would, as he is an excellent facilitator and solid on-ball defense – the Bulls may want to jump.