The Arturas Karnisovas era hasn't been the most pleasant experience in Chicago, but there's at least one small silver lining: The Bulls found a few steals in the NBA Draft. They're just bad at everything that comes after.
The league is about to get a glimpse of that futility again whenever Karnisovas makes his decision on Coby White.
Chicago's 25-year-old combo guard is a relatively hot commodity on the trade market. The Minnesota Timberwolves have reportedly shown interest, and White would be a solid fit in Houston to help the Rockets beef up their backcourt.
Unfortunately -- based on a long list of evidence -- the Bulls are unlikely to make a smart move. And therein lies the most brutal truth of this iteration of the franchise.
The Bulls front office can't string together good decisions
Karnisovas had a pair of draft hits in Ayo Dosunmu, whom he found at pick No. 38 in 2021, and Matas Buzelis, the No. 11 selection in 2024. Dosunmu is arguably more valuable than White despite being a second-round selection. Buzelis is a potential franchise cornerstone.
He also inherited a couple of solid young players when he took the job in White and Wendell Carter Jr.
Less than a calendar year later, Carter Jr. was traded to the Orlando Magic in the deal that brought Nikola Vucevic to Chicago. The then-21-year-old had already become a regular starter in Chicago and was averaging 10.9 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.2 assists at the time of the trade.
As the 35-year-old Vucevic steadily declines, Carter Jr. has helped anchor one of the NBA's best defenses and won't turn 27 until April.
Now, the Bulls have to make a decision on White's future.
The former North Carolina star was the No. 7 pick in the 2019 draft, 10 months before Karnisovas took the reins. He finished fifth in Rookie of the Year voting, and despite a dip over the next few seasons, he has become one of Chicago's most important offensive players.
Coby White's future in Chicago is still a mystery
Karnisovas has, fittingly, been on the fence about White. One of the team's most vital players will be an unrestricted free agent after the season and will seek a deal at least similar to the $25 million-per-year one Josh Giddey received last summer.
As another backcourt defensive liability, is White worth that money? And is it worth paying him and Giddey a combined $50 million or more a year?
Or would it be more prudent to trade White now, grab some assets and move on from a player who, despite his talent, may not be a long-term part of the franchise?
Unsurprisingly, other teams can't get a read on what the Bulls will do at the trade deadline, per Jake Fischer via The Stein Line substack. But whatever choice Karnisovas makes, it's fair to assume it will set the organization back rather than move it forward.