The fallout from the three-way trade that brought Jaden Ivey to Chicago has hit quickly. As the Bulls’ roster has taken shape since that deal, Coby White has become the most obvious loser.
The front office made another shrewd move in acquiring Ivey, along with Mike Conley, as part of a trade that sent Kevin Huerter and Dario Saric to the Detroit Pistons. Detroit also lands a 2026 protected first-round pick swap courtesy of the Minnesota Timberwolves, who get some cap relief out of the deal as they pursue Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo.
In a separate trade that broke shortly after this one, the Bulls dealt Nikola Vucevic to the Boston Celtics for Anfernee Simons, adding yet another guard to the roster.
While the jury is out on Simons' future, Ivey is in Chicago to stay.
There's one clear loser of the Bulls decision to trade for Jaden Ivey
Even before adding Simons -- shoot, even before adding Ivey -- the writing was on the wall for Coby White. You can now paint that on the wall in neon colors.
White has been one of the most talked-about players on the market for months. Rumors have only gathered steam as the Feb. 5 trade deadline creeps closer.
The 25-year-old is a talented scoring guard who can pour in points from all three levels -- four, if you count his 87.2 percent free-throw shooting on 4.5 attempts per game over the past two seasons.
But he's a poor defender playing on a $12.9 million expiring contract who will need a new deal this summer. The former North Carolina star can sign a four-year, $87 million extension immediately; however, he is seeking a contract closer to the $25-30 million range annually.
The Bulls don't want to pay that after shelling out $100 million to keep Josh Giddey, another offensively-minded guard. And they would reportedly prefer to keep Ayo Dosunmu over White.
All of this makes White the clear odd man out in Chicago. The question now is, What can Bulls Executive VP of Basketball Operations Arturas Karnisovas get in exchange for a one-way, soon-to-be expensive rental?
He may have to settle for a few second-round picks, if recent rumors are true.
The Houston Rockets have been heavily linked to White. Ironically, the Timberwolves and Pistons also both make sense as landing spots.
Karnisovas has been uncharacteristically active ahead of this year's deadline, and another trade seems imminent. White is the clear loser of the Ivey deal, and he'll likely be the next one to go.