The Atlanta Hawks gave up on superstar point guard Trae Young in large part because of his disastrous defense. Unfortunately, the Chicago Bulls will struggle to trade Coby White -- or at least to get a decent return -- for the same reason.
Outside of Josh Giddey or Matas Buzelis, neither of whom is going anywhere, White is Chicago's most valuable asset. Ayo Dosunmu is a better two-way guard, but White is the team's most talented scorer and all-around offensive player.
His status as an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season will diminish his trade value; he'll likely command a contract worth about $25 million annually. His $12.9 million salary this year makes him a bit more attractive ... but that brings us back to his status as a poor defender.
White isn't as bad on that end as Young, but the way the NBA now emphasizes that part of the game will certainly turn teams off.
Coby White's defensive issues hurt his trade value
Young is one of the most skilled offensive players in the league. But he's also 165 pounds and isn't particularly interested in becoming a lockdown defender.
White checks in at 6-foot-4 and 195 pounds. He's not extraordinarily strong or burly, but he does have some positional size for a combo guard. The 25-year-old has also placed an emphasis on improving as a defender. He puts in more effort than Young and has proven he's willing to step in and take a charge given the opportunity.
But, much like Young, his strengths lie on the offensive end.
White is a talented scorer but that's not enough in today's NBA
White's 2025-26 campaign has been marred by injury. He's dealt with three separate calf issues and has only played 17 of a possible 47 games. The former North Carolina star is averaging 18.4 points, 3.4 rebounds and 4.6 assists with shooting splits of 44/32/80.
Last year was a career year for White, who proved capable of being the leading scorer on an at least semi-competitive team. The Bulls went 15-5 in their final 20 games, and White started 19 of them. He averaged 26.1 points, 4.6 rebounds and 4.1 assists with shooting splits of 51/39/91 in 33.9 minutes per game.
But a look around the league shows that many of the most desirable stars are strong on both ends of the floor. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Jaylen Brown. Jayson Tatum. Giannis Antetokounmpo. Victor Wembanyama. Anthony Edwards. Jalen Williams.
And the ones who do stand out for their offensive capabilities are the elite of the elite in that department: Donovan Mitchell, Jalen Brunson and Luka Doncic, for example. Even Steph Curry and Nikola Jokic have developed into at least capable defenders.
White's offense isn't good enough to overcome his defensive weaknesses, and that'll be an issue if the Bulls are looking to trade him before the Feb. 5 deadline. The proof is in the Young trade.