That was disappointing. By "that," I mean the Bulls trade deadline at large, of course, but specifically the Coby White deal, which sent the guard to the Charlotte Hornets for Collin Sexton and three second-round picks.
It's easy to be mad at a front office for making a questionable move, but sometimes things work out in the end. The problem with this deal is that there is no way it works out in the end, unless one of those second-rounders miraculously turns into a high-level NBA player. Don't hold your breath.
Even more head-scratching is the fact that White was a success story with the Bulls. His development wasn't linear, but he came on as a high-level backcourt player in recent years, averaging around 20 points per game each of the past three seasons. And he was shipped out for virtually nothing. With all due respect to Collin Sexton (who has always been underrated, actually) White is a clear better player, and Sexton is also on an expiring deal!
Coby White's breakout in 2023-24 looked like it would set up the Bulls for years to come, either with White himself or a potentially exciting trade return. How did we get here?
Bulls never had a plan for Coby White
There were two schools of thought among Bulls fans regarding Coby White. The first was to trade him last season when the return package was legitimate, and likely would have included a first-round pick. The other was to keep White through the deadline and sign him to a longterm contract in the offseason. White has steadily improved throughout his tenure with the Bulls and is a fan favorite, after all.
Meanwhile, the front office developed a third school of thought — to ship White off for a worse guard and three useless second-round picks. That's thinking outside the box, I suppose.
No one expected the Bulls to get premier picks for White. But if this was the return, why not just keep him for now and negotiate a contract in the summer? If AK and the front office knew they didn't want to negotiate a contract, then why the hell was Coby White still on the team this season?
There was no plan. There continues to be no plan. The word "plan" doesn't even make sense anymore, Bulls fans have uttered so many times.
One thing Bulls fans can agree on right now is wishing the best for Coby White as he returns home to North Carolina, though.