The Chicago Bulls, who are now in a playoff position, have a surprisingly strong start to the 2024–25 NBA season at 4-6 after ten games.
The beginning has both positive and negative implications for Chicago’s immediate future. The Bulls risk losing their draft pick in one of the most anticipated drafts in recent memory because they owe the San Antonio Spurs a 2025 top-10 protected first-round pick from the 2021 DeMar DeRozan trade.
Although there have been whispers about veterans like Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic, Coby White is currently one of the Bulls’ most alluring players.
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.
Trading White would be one of the best decisions the Bulls could make going forward, even though he is not the key player they are attempting to acquire.
The Spurs may deal a number of players, including Tre Jones, Zach Collins, and Keldon Johnson, for White, according to a suggestion made by Jonah Kubicek of SportingNews.com.
Collins has just two seasons left on his contract, Jones has an expiring agreement, and Johnson has three years remaining on his deal, including the 2024–25 season.
More significantly, White might be acquired by the Spurs in exchange for a number of draft picks. There are a number of other good picks the Spurs might attach in a trade for White, or the Bulls might get their pick back.
The Spurs have their own pick in 2025 alone, along with the Charlotte Hornets’ top-14 protected pick, the Atlanta Hawks’ first-round pick, and the Bulls’ first and second-round selections. In 2026, 2027, and later, the Spurs will have additional first-round selections from other teams.
Having a 2025 first-round pick plus a 2026 pick in another highly anticipated draft would be quite valuable to the Bulls. However, if White were traded, Chicago’s play would suffer since they would lose one of the Bulls’ top scorers.
In the long run, White’s next contract will be far more valuable than his present one. The Bulls could not be able to or might not want to offer that contract in the summer of 2026, even though it could be worth a near-max deal.
White might be a key player next to a superstar like Victor Wembanyama because the Bulls do not view him as a franchise player. White would provide the Spurs a much-needed scoring boost.
Trading White would be one of the most difficult choices the Bulls could make because it is uncertain if they will be able to let go of LaVine this season or in the offseason.
However, rather than allowing White to perhaps depart for nothing in the summer of 2026, the Bulls might be better off moving on from him when his worth is at its peak.
