The latest of the Bulls rumors that could have some steam to it is showing that the front office could make one of their key young players available at the trade deadline and another untouchable essentially. The one Bulls player that looks to be available at the trade deadline this season is the third-year point guard Coby White.
And the other that executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas and general manager Marc Eversley look to make “off-limits” around the trade deadline this season is second-year forward Patrick Williams.
The most common school of thought seemed to hold it that the Bulls would make it more difficult to get Williams from them than Coby. But a recent hot streak from Coby was looking to flip the script on that narrative.
Bulls rumors pinning Patrick Williams as unavailable, and Coby White as available at the trade deadline
Coby is playing some excellent basketball of late. But that just could mean that the Bulls’ front office will try to sell high on him. It really makes sense either way you look at it.
The difference at this point of the season is that it will likely be much more difficult to get Coby from the Bulls than it was thought to be a month or two ago. He’s proving the value that he can bring to the table when he really heats up in this rotation. And that could be really valuable down the stretch this season.
With that in mind, here’s a look into three players that would be worth targeting if the Bulls are going to get a Coby trade done around the deadline next month.
Bulls Rumors: Mitchell Robinson for Coby White could seriously shake things up in Chicago and New York
While the first potential trade target for the Bulls up on this list is definitely a far-fetched one that would require some interesting pieces moving around, I do believe there could be some value that the Bulls get out of New York Knicks big man Mitchell Robinson. In some of the recent games that were a struggle for the Bulls, it looked like rebounding was an issue at times.
The Bulls could also use some help in terms of frontcourt depth heading into the second half of the regular season. Robinson is definitely someone that second-year head coach Billy Donovan could utilize off the bench when his team is having rebounding and rim protection issues.
Speaking of buying low or high on a player, the Bulls would be able to likely get a cheaper price tag for Robinson than we really ever have in the last couple of seasons. Robinson’s role has decreased under the watch of former Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau this season compared to the past couple.
But his production and efficiency haven’t really taken a huge dip in the process. Robinson is still averaging around eight points per game, eight rebounds, and two blocks.
Robinson is very one-dimensional in what he does, so it’s not like the Bulls would be getting an extremely dynamic addition to the frontcourt unit if they get him from the Knicks. But the Bulls could use some help in this area when Donovan wants to shake things up. And this deal would likely be able to net the Bulls more valuable pieces than just Robinson.
Bulls Rumors: A deal for Jerami Grant would likely involve Coby White going to Detroit
One player that really should be appealing to Bulls fans ahead of the trade deadline this season is the Detroit Pistons star forward Jerami Grant. It is nothing short of mouth-watering for the Bulls faithful to imagine what a starting five in Chicago would look like with Grant in the mix. The two-way impact he could make for this squad is real.
The chances of the Bulls landing someone like Grant, if they do make any moves at the trade deadline, are seemingly increasing in the last few weeks. At this point, it seems like all that people can talk about in terms of potential deals that the Bulls can make around the trade deadline next month involve big-time forwards from non-contending teams such as Grant from the Pistons.
Moreover, the Bulls would definitely increase their title odds on the surface if they’re able to pull off a trade for Grant. The problem here might be the amount that the Bulls have to give up, along with Coby, to get a player that is the caliber of Grant. And that’s even considering the fact that the Pistons are still in tank mode as they try to build around rookie point guard Cade Cunningham.
It’s still really appealing to think about a Bulls’ starting unit that features the likes of point guard Lonzo Ball, shooting guard Zach LaVine, forward DeMar DeRozan, Grant, and center Nikola Vucevic. That would be a starting five that could challenge essentially anyone in the NBA, if the Bulls weren’t already doing that.
Bulls Rumors: Harrison Barnes is another likely option that could see Coby White on the move at the deadline
A potentially cheaper option for the Bulls among the assumed to be available forwards on the trade block ahead of the deadline next month is the Sacramento Kings veteran forward Harrison Barnes. It’s almost certainly a thing that the Bulls would include Coby in any trade deal that would see Barnes land in the Windy City from Sactown.
There really isn’t a huge difference in terms of the two-way effectiveness that Barnes and Grant could bring to the table for the Bulls. The main difference is the fact that Grant is a little more explosive and can be a better one-on-one defender. Grant tends to be the better raw scorer of the two.
But it’s likely that the Bulls wouldn’t really need another shot creator to be a primary initiator in this starting five alongside the likes of LaVine and DeRozan. Barnes could be an efficient shooter and tertiary scoring option when the looks just aren’t there for the big three of LaVine, DeRozan, and Vucevic.
Barnes is also the more efficient shooter, especially from beyond the arc this season, compared to Grant.
And maybe the best part about the Bulls choosing someone like Barnes over Grant would be the fact that he’s actually healthy right now. Grant could be back for the Pistons by the time the trade deadline arrives. But it’s likely that he’s out until the end of January at the earliest.