It's okay for rebuilding teams to have good players on their rosters. This is a belief I have held for many years; not every player can be a cornerstone, and solid starters aren't going to corrupt a rebuild.
That may be the stance the Chicago Bulls need to take on Coby White moving forward: is he a building block? Maybe not. Is he a good, productive scoring guard who can help out a contending team? Certainly! Those players are also valuable, especially if they've steadily improved in their tenure with said team like White has.
I said earlier in the season that White's impending free agency has no easy answer. I still believe that, but with White scoring 20-pus in the Bulls' final three games (and reportedly becoming a great locker room guy), I'm starting to think that keeping White around for at least a few more years might be an easy way to win the favor of fans and guarantee consistent scoring from at least one backcourt spot.
Coby White seems to be taking over role as vocal leader for Bulls
White also seems to be taking over the role of locker room leader as the Bulls' season deteriorates. From Joe Cowley at the Chicago Sun-Times:
Guard Coby White, the longest-tenured Bull, has been one of the main figures trying to put out fires and limit finger-pointing while still holding teammates accountable, the source said. White gave an impromptu speech on that very topic last week.
“We’re a close group — we’ve got a lot of great relationships on this team,” he said. “[But] we’ve got to continue to have the honest conversations we’re having with each other, continue to grow.”
I know that this fanbase wants (and deserves) a winning culture more than anything. But Coby White has steadily gotten better in seven years with the Bulls, seems to love the city, and is trying his best to keep the team from coming unglued in a rough stretch. That's a guy you want around, right?
Considering the guys the Bulls could realistically trade White for — the most commonly rumored one to be Jonathan Kuminga — things like "locker room leadership" shouldn't be dismissed as small potatoes.
Getting sentimental during a rebuild isn't good business, I know. But keeping Coby White around is starting to look like it could benefit the team in numerous ways, both on the court and off. Fielding calls for all players is the responsible thing to do, but White's value in Chicago probably won't be reflected by the offers the team gets for him.