The Chicago Bulls find themselves at 4-0 on the season without 2019 top-10 pick Coby White having played a single game.
White, 21, is recovering from off-season shoulder surgery and is expected to return around the middle of next month.
However, it might not be with the Bulls. According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, multiple NBA executives believe that Coby White is on the trade block. “He was a part of the old regime, and he’ll move to that bench role as a combo guard,” Scotto explained.
It makes sense in that general manager Marc Eversley and vice president Arturas Karnisovas didn’t draft White. The duo has also built a championship-caliber roster after acquiring Lonzo Ball and DeMar DeRozan during the off-season.
If White is moved, there’d be a number of teams interested in the young guard’s services. The former North Carolina standout is coming off a career-best sophomore campaign that saw him average 15.1 points, 4.1 rebounds and 4.8 assists on 36% shooting from distance. Below, we look at three ideal landing spots for the comb-guard.
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Coby White lands with the Dallas Mavericks
If Chicago does indeed move White, it will likely be to the Western Conference. The team’s brass does not want to take a chance that he improves with a fellow Eastern Conference rival. That’s where Dallas potentially comes into play.
The Mavericks could use someone of White’s ilk to work with Luka Doncic in the backcourt. Right now, the likes of Jalen Brunson and Reggie Bullock just aren’t cutting it. Acquiring White to team up with Doncic while moving Tim Hardaway Jr. to small forward would work well. Meanwhile, Chicago adds someone like forward Dorian Finney-Smith and youngster Josh Green to its bench.
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Los Angeles Clippers take a chance on Coby White
With Kawhi Leonard sidelined for the season due to a torn ACL, MVP candidate Paul George needs more help putting the ball in the hoop. Sure Eric Bledsoe has played decent in his return to Los Angeles, but he can’t be relied on too much.
The idea here would be for the Clippers to team White up with Reggie Jackson in the backcourt. In turn, Los Angeles sends Terance Mann to Chicago. Mann would be a great fit off the bench at both the two and three, providing the Bulls with more depth.
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Houston Rockets continue rebuild with Coby White
Here’s the most-likely scenario. A team that’s not in playoff contention takes a chance that White can morph into a franchise cornerstone. There’s no better fit than a Houston team that needs help in the backcourt. Sliding White next to Kevin Porter Jr. and stud rookie Jalen Green out on the perimeter would be all sorts of sexy.
In return, Houston sends veteran guard Eric Gordon to Chicago while taking on the contract of Derrick Jones Jr. Imagine Gordon coming off the bench behind Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan and Lonzo Ball in Chicago. That’s absolutely legit.