Should the Bulls Keep Coby White?

As the Bulls extended off-season begins to ramp up, there are quite a few trade talks in its midst.

Many Bulls articles centered around the NBA such as Zach Buckley’s article and Stephen Beslic’s article propose changes to make the team better based on the Bulls’ needs. Essentially, a bulk of Bulls news is filled with rumors of who the Bulls “should” sign or “should” trade for.

A few of those changes, especially in Buckley’s article, include trading away Coby White. Thus, raising the question: should the Chicago Bulls Keep Coby White?

White’s Early Years

White was drafted by Bulls with the seventh pick on June 20, 2019. Out the gate, he was a decent piece to a rebuilding Bulls team.

According to Basketball Reference, he averaged 13.2 points, 2.7 assists, and 3.5 rebounds on 39.4% from the field, 35.4% from three, and 79.1% from the line. Essentially, he was a shot taker. He wasn’t efficient but he will take as many shots as possible.

For an experienced player, that isn’t great. But, since he was a rookie, it could be seen as more of a feel-out process entering a professional league. Fortunately, those efforts paid off, leading him to become a part of the 2019-20 All-Rookie team.

He continued his good play the next season with slightly better numbers. He averaged 15.1 points, 4.8 assists, and 4.1 rebounds on 41.6% from the field, 35.9% from the three, and 90.1% from the line.

The big difference between his rookie and sophomore season was his efficiency, especially from the free-throw line. However, due to significant team changes, his role and stats lessened as his career progressed.

His Current Production

Now, ESPN shows that White averages 9.7 points, 2.8 assists, and 2.9 rebounds on 44.3% from the field, 37.2% from three, and 87.1% from the line. At face value, some may feel that White’s stats are significantly worse.

They may feel that, while he has been efficient, he doesn’t have as many points and his game hasn’t improved in many areas besides his free throw percentage. However, there is an explanation for that drop: he doesn’t get the ball at the same rate.

When White first got on the Bulls in the 2019-20 season, they were a rebuilding team. Specifically, on Land of Basketball, their record was 22-43, a very bad record for the shortened season.

Of course, Zach LaVine was becoming a star of his own, but they didn’t have many other options besides him. White was one of those options that took many shots when LaVine didn’t.

That is a completely different situation in comparison to the 2022-23 season. Their record was closer to .500 and they had many other ball-dominate players.

They had LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, Nikola Vucevic, and (depending on the game) Alex Caruso or Patrick Beverley. In essence, there were so many different options other than White so he possessions and numbers dipped a bit.

However, with that context, his efficiency seems much more impressive. Despite all these roster changes in his first few years, he his production has remained consistent.

But is that enough to keep him on the team for upcoming roster changes?

The Decision

The answer to that question is complicated.

For example, if the Bulls are trying to rebuild again, they shouldn’t trade him. White is only 22 years old and only has room to get better/remain with the rest of the team. It wouldn’t make much sense to trade him away in a rebuilding sense.

However, it gets more complicated if they are trying to restructure the Bulls to a playoff team/contender.

For instance, if White was getting traded for a better three-point shooter and/or a border-line star like Fred VanVleet or Jerami Grant, the trade can be considered or even done if they’re making other changes. Essentially, if White is getting traded, they should trade most, if not all, their young pieces as well.

If the Bulls are going all-in, they should leave no stone unturned. It may lead to bad consequences down the line but, who knows? It could work. Mainly, Coby White can be traded depending on 2 main factors: the contents of the trade itself and their future. It’s up to the front office and organization to judge those situations and make the right decision.

Stay tuned for more NBA content, including midseason moves, contract updates, and more pieces about every team.

Featured image courtesy of nbaiphonewallpaper.com.

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