Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu are among the Bulls players who could be moved by the trade deadline, according to Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. While most trade rumors involving the team tend to focus on Zach LaVine, Nikola Vucevic and Lonzo Ball, Cowley notes that Chicago will be spending a lot of money on its backcourt next season if the current roster stays together.
White is currently making $12MM and is owed $12.9MM next year, which is a team-friendly contract for a player who just finished second in the Most Improved Player voting. There may be a market for him as well as Dosunmu, who is earning $7MM this season and $7.5MM in 2025/26. Cowley notes that if LaVine stays and Josh Giddey gets re-signed, the Bulls could be spending more than $70MM on their starting backcourt.
‘‘I don’t tend to worry about it because it’s completely out of everyone’s hands besides the front office,’’ White said. ‘‘Since I’ve been in the league, teams have totally changed. Me and Zach are the only ones still on the team [from my rookie year], so I’ve seen what it’s like to have your whole team shipped out. I’ve seen what it’s like to have a different head coach from when I started, a different front office. So it’s just business, and I had to learn that. And it’s one of those lessons you better learn quickly.’’
There’s more from Chicago:
- LaVine took off his left sock to show reporters the toe injury that forced him to miss Monday’s game at Charlotte and quell any speculation that he might be sitting out due to an impending trade, Cowley states in a separate story. LaVine vowed to be ready for Wednesday’s contest at Washington, but the team will see how he feels during shootaround before making a decision.
- White believes the up-tempo style that coach Billy Donovan adopted this year will be a selling point for free agents this summer, Cowley adds. “I think it’s attractive because it’s kind of moving to the modern-day NBA,” White said. “The pace we play at, the amount of threes we shoot, the amount of freedom everybody has, I think any basketball player would want to play in this system. Who doesn’t want to play fast, get up and down, get open shots, be able to attack in transition and then have the freedom to make plays offensively where everybody gets the ball and has opportunities? I think it has really been working for us.”
- Ball is still restricted to a maximum of 20 minutes per game and isn’t permitted to play on back-to-back nights, writes Julia Poe of The Chicago Tribune. A sprained wrist he suffered early in the season, along with an illness, have kept the minutes restriction in place longer than expected, but Donovan indicated that Ball’s role may increase in January. “I can do a lot in 20 minutes,” Ball said. “Obviously I want to play more, but we’ve got to be smart. It’s gonna be a slow process. I knew that. I just want to play.” The doctor he consulted suggested surgery on the wrist, but Ball wasn’t willing to consider that option after missing more than two full years due to repeated knee issues.
But Billy D shouldn’t be coaching them next year so how can it be a selling point?
I find this to be extremely interesting, So you are telling me that the trade interest is in players with surplus value relative to their contracts, not the overpaid players, very interesting indeed.
Who doesn’t want to be a turnstile on defense ?
Take a swing on Zion? Bulls 2025 first heading to San Antonio unless 1-10. It’s time to start losing a little more. Zion can help with that seeing how he’s not on the court. Surely nobody is offering two 1sts for Zach. A swing on potential health for sure, get off Zachs contract too. Works with a trade exemption Chicago have.
Why would NO want Zach tho?
He plays
Sometimes, and for too much money.
Trust me, I’m a bulls fan who’d love to move Zach, but hard to see pels deciding to tie up their cap space for an overpaid injury prone scorer.
Sometimes is better than not at all. This time next yr Zion will be going for looney lol. Pels be cutting their losses at some stage. It’s worth a phone call. Zach is playing you out of a first atm.
Agree abt cutting their losses, but imo that doesn’t translate to taking on a ton of extra salary. Zions contract structure would enable them to cut bait, taking on Lavine just ties up their space and doesn’t really improve their ceiling.
Their reluctance to extend Ingram seems like a relevant comparison