ESPN pitches trade with Bulls swapping guards with Suns

Would the Bulls do this trade?

Coby White is still just 22 years old, and there is a lot to like about the North Carolina native. With a backcourt filled with questionable shooting behind Zach LaVine, White can hit from outside and has grown up in this system.

On the other hand, he is a fluky shooter, sometimes going supernova and other times ice-cold. He has never developed into a high-level playmaker for others, and his defense is consistently bad. The Bulls shouldn’t commit long-term money to White, so moving on from him now is likely the right thing.

Cameron Payne is simply a body to fill a spot deep in the rotation, but he can hit shots and has some verve as a backup point guard. He would be under contract next season for $6.5 million, giving the Bulls a relatively low-cost player at that position without the uncertainty of White. The two picks are nothing special, but with the Suns’ future uncertainty either one could jump up into a viable range.

This trade isn’t the sort of blockbuster that changes the course of a franchise or gets fans’ blood boiling, but it’s the kind of solid business that each team needs to be considering to give itself the best chance to win. This deal is fine, and it would make sense for both sides.