The Chicago Bulls are off to a 6-1 start, and they sit in first place in the Eastern Conference. It is still early in the season, but the Bulls look like a completely different team from previous years. Their 24-point comeback against the Philadelphia 76ers is evidence of that.
More impressively, Chicago has done all of this without one of their better players on the court. Coby White has missed the first seven games of the year with a calf injury, and the timetable on White’s return is still up in the air. The hope is for the former lottery pick to return during the upcoming West Coast road trip. However, the Bulls do not want to push him back on the court before he is fully ready.
In his absence, Josh Giddey has been the man to step up more than anyone. His triple-double led the Bulls to the comeback victory over the 76ers on Tuesday night. In fact, Giddey became the second player since Michael Jordan to post two consecutive triple-doubles for the Bulls. He has been the best player on the court and is the main reason for Chicago’s success to begin the year.
With how well Giddey has played and how well the Bulls are playing, White’s return could mess up the mojo. Of course, the Bulls want a player of White’s caliber back on the court, but in terms of game plan and other in-game strategy, it could change everything.
Because of this, Bill Simmons made a bold statement on what the Bulls should do with White. Simmons thinks the Bulls’ best option is to trade him.
“I struck oil with Josh Giddey,” Simmons said on his podcast, the Bill Simmons Podcast. “I don’t want Coby White. I’m not going to pay him next year.”
Trades do not normally happen this early in the year, but Chicago has a decision to make.
What Coby White Brings to the Bulls
GettyCoby White could return in the next few weeks.
White, 25, averaged a career-best 20.4 points per game last season. He added 4.5 assists, 3.7 rebounds, and 0.9 steals per game to that stat line, as well. He is a career 36.9% three-point shooter, but his field goal percentage is a low 43.3%. White is a player who can get hot from deep and change the game, but he is a score-first-pass-second type of point guard.
White was a big reason why the Bulls made the Play-In game last year. In the second half of the season, the guard proved why he is so valuable on the court. He scored 24.3 points per game while grabbing 4.0 rebounds and dishing out 4.3 assists. He also shot 49.4% from the floor, which is a massive improvement.
The University of North Carolina product is in the final year of his contract with Chicago. He is owed $12.8 million this year, but will no doubt be worth more when a new contract comes his way.
What Return Does White Give the Bulls?
GettyIs a Coby White trade the best move?
With his expiring contract, the team that trades for White would be getting a half-season rental. If that team decides to extend white, which would most likely be the case, they would have to pay him quite a bit more than $12.8 million.
Additionally, his score-first mentality is an asset, but he lacks the floor general mindset a lot of teams want out of their point guard. A team with an established facilitator at point guard could want the sharpshooter, but he is not someone who will lead the team down the court possession after possession.
The Bulls will want a big haul for their former first-round pick, but that is not going to be the case. Because of the expiring contract and free agency uncertainty, the Bulls would not receive multiple assets in the trade. Instead, Chicago will likely have to settle for a lesser package than they had hoped.
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