The Bulls’ dilemma about guard Coby White is real.
First, White still is trying to play catch-up in terms of conditioning. He played in both games of a back-to-back for the first time this season Friday and Saturday after a strained calf in August set him back for months.
Second, he is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent after the season and has told the Bulls and interested trade partners he wants to test the market.
Finally, on any given night, he’s the best scorer on the Bulls’ roster and the face of the franchise since guard Zach LaVine was traded last season.
What are the Bulls to do?
There’s no easy answer for executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas, who seemingly has struggled with obvious roster decisions in the past, let alone one that is as complicated as White’s.
And the clock is ticking. The NBA trade deadline is Feb. 5. Some of the players who were re-signed to extensions in July became eligible to be traded Dec. 15, and the rest of that newly extended class will be able to be dealt Jan. 15.
That’s when business is expected to pick up.
For the Bulls, that means there are only 10 more games for White to improve his conditioning and hopefully put up the numbers he did in the second half of last season, when he averaged 24.5 points and got to the free-throw line 5.7 times per game. Those are All-Star-caliber numbers for a player with an expiring contract and about $8 million left on his deal for the rest of this season.
‘‘I’m getting there,’’ White said of his conditioning and rhythm after the Bulls’ loss Saturday to the Bucks. ‘‘I still feel like I’ve got a ways to go in terms of my body, in terms of stacking games together. This was my first back-to-back of the year and I feel decent, but I’ve still got a ways to go.’’
That’s about how it played out. White shot a combined 10-for-22 in the back-to-back, but he committed five turnovers against the Bucks, which didn’t help the Bulls’ cause.
‘‘Just trusting my body and reacting to how I want to react,’’ White said. ‘‘I’m trying to get my legs underneath me as far as timing, decision-making. I’m trying to give myself some grace. I was really hard on myself [Friday against 76ers], where I felt like I couldn’t get my timing down. It’s leading to some turnovers that I feel like are unforced.
‘‘Once I get my timing down and get my legs underneath me, I’ll be better.’’
So what will that do for his value?
Before the regular season started, the Sun-Times reported the Bulls and White had been in amicable discussions since last year and were willing to table extension talks until the offseason. But with White’s name gaining trade momentum in the last few weeks, a source said the trust between the parties has frayed a bit.
The other consideration Karnisovas is weighing is what type of impact White actually has on the Bulls. White is a huge voice in the locker room, but the team is basically .500 at 15-16 and is only 8-7 when he plays.
Is that because White still is working his way back into shape, or is that what the Bulls are capable of even when he is at full strength?
The Magic, Timberwolves, Mavericks, Nets, Rockets and Hawks headline the
rumored destinations for White, but Karnisovas can’t afford to miss if he decides to trade him. He has to get a return that makes sense beyond this season.
‘‘It will come back,’’ White said of his conditioning and his game. ‘‘It always comes back.’’
Knowing White, it will. But will that happen with the Bulls or for another team?