Ten games into the 2024-25 NBA season, the Chicago Bulls have gotten off to a relatively surprising start at 4-6 as they currently sit in a playoff position.
Less than two weeks ago, they were over .500 for the first time since November 2022 and are coming off a promising road win in Atlanta.
The start is both good and bad for Chicago's immediate future. Owing the San Antonio Spurs a 2025 top-10 protected first-round pick from the 2021 DeMar DeRozan trade, the Bulls could lose their draft pick in one of the most anticipated drafts in years.
While veterans like Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic are both names that have been in rumors, one of the most attractive players on the Bulls right now is Coby White.
Could the Bulls trade Coby White instead of LaVine or Vucevic?
In the second year of a three-year, $36 million contract, White's deal looks like one of the best in the league. Following a strong 2023-24 campaign that saw him average 19.1 points, 4.5 rebounds and 5.1 assists and a runner-up finish in Most Improved Player voting, White has carried that momentum into this season with averages of 19.4 points, 3.5 rebounds and 5.0 assists.
While White is not the main player the Bulls are trying to trade, trading him would be one of the most benefical moves for tor the future.
Proposed by Jonah Kubicek of SportingNews.com, the Spurs could trade several players for White, including Keldon Johnson, Tre Jones and Zach Collins.
While Johnson has three years left on his deal (including the 2024-25 season), Collins only has two seasons left on his contract and Jones is on an expiring deal.
More importantly, the Spurs have numerous draft picks they could trade for White. The Bulls could potentially receive their pick from the Spurs back, or there are several other valuable picks the Spurs could attach in a trade for White.
In 2025 alone, the Spurs have their own pick, a top-14 protected pick from the Charlotte Hornets, the Atlanta Hawks' first-round pick and the Bulls' first and second-round picks. The Spurs have more first-round picks from other teams in 2026, 2027 and beyond.
For the Bulls, having a first-round pick in 2025 and an additional pick in another highly touted draft in 2026 would be huge. At the same time, trading White would take away one of the Bulls' best scorers and hamper Chicago's play if it were to trade him.
Looking into the future, White's next contract will be worth much more than the current deal he is on. Potentially worth a near-max deal for his next contract, the Bulls may not be able to or may not want to offer that contract in the summer of 2026.
With White not being a franchise player in the eyes of the Bulls, he could be a pivotal piece alongside a superstar like Victor Wembanyama. White would add a much-needed scoring boost to the Spurs.
With the Bulls' ability to move on from LaVine this season or offseason in question, trading White would be one of the most complex decisions the Bulls could make.
At the same time, it may be wiser for the Bulls to move on from White while his value is at its highest instead of letting him potentially leave for nothing in the summer of 2026.