Having been fully given the keys to the Bulls‘ offense in the wake of Chicago’s Zach LaVine deadline trade, guard Coby White has been playing at the highest level of his career of late, writes Julia Poe of The Chicago Tribune.
The 6’5″ pro has scored at least 20 points in 16 of his last 17 games, and he and LaVine are now the only Chicago players ever to have racked up over 400 points and 40 three-pointers in a single month. White surpassed his own franchise record on Sunday for the most made three-pointers in a single season.
“I’m not going to limit myself to anything,” he said. “I’m going to continue to get better, continue to be who I am and put my all into this game. Whatever happens after that happens.”
There’s more out of the Central Division:
- Newly acquired Bucks guard Kevin Porter Jr. enjoyed a superlative performance in a critical 121-115 overtime victory over the Heat on Saturday, writes Eric Nehm of The Athletic. Porter scored 24 points, grabbed 12 boards, and dished out eight dimes. He has been counted on more for ball-handling and play-making in the wake of Damian Lillard‘s absence due to a blood clot. Porter also sealed the win with a clutch late bucket beneath the basket. “Fortunate enough I’ve been in those moments where one shot can win the game, or one play, so I just trusted my work, trusted myself and I felt good and confident when I got the trust in my teammates to make that last play,” Porter said. “Those are the moments we live for. I love being in those moments, and I’ll take that shot every chance I get.”
- Pistons All-Star guard Cade Cunningham missed two weeks of action with a left calf contusion. In his first game back on Saturday, a 109-103 loss to Memphis, Cunningham looked pretty much like himself, putting up 25 points, nine boards, and four assists. As The Athletic’s Hunter Patterson relays, Cunningham told reporters he was comfortable returning to the hardwood. “I got hit in my left calf and then it made my right calf tighten up a lot,” Cunningham said of the initial injury. “So it’s just a lot going on. I got sick at the same time, so it was just trying to battle a lot of different things. (Our) training staff got me right, though. I feel great now. So, I feel good going into the playoffs. It was a good game for me to try to shake off the rust.”
- In case you missed it, Detroit big Isaiah Stewart returned from a recent two-game suspension in the Memphis matchup.
Very hyped to see how Stew & KPJ play in their 1st postseason action. Indy & NY both need to be prepared for the energy those 2 guys will be bringing off the bench… link to m.youtube.com
Said it before, Repeating it again, Bulls need to deal White this off season. His stock is never going to be higher, Don’t make the same mistake that you made with LaVine. Rather sell something too soon, Than hang onto it too long. You should be able to get a haul for him this off season. You should be able to get a late first for Ayo too as a Playoff team would probably much rather have a stud defensive guard than a late round flier. Keep amassing Cap Space and assets and build around Giddey and Buzelis. But that would take a plan and so far this management hasn’t had one.
Let’s hear your plan. What “haul” do you expect to get for Coby? Seems like he’s definitely worth more to the Bulls than he would be to any other team.
A good young player and a 1st round pick and maybe a couple of 2nd rounders. For a player who can score and is signed for 13 million bucks next year. If he was signed for longer maybe 2 1st’s. What’s your plan, Give him a Max extension? That plan was already tried and sucked by the way. Because that’s what he’s gonna want to stay. It’s known as the LaVine plan.
When did the Bulls try signing Coby White a max extension?
Which team is giving up a good young player and a 1st for Coby White? If I’m NO I might like Coby but I’m not giving up Jordan Hawkins & a 1st for him. If I’m Atl I’m not giving up Bufkin & a 1st for him. If I’m Minnesota I alr have Rob, if I’m BK I alr have Cam T, if I’m DC I already have Poole. So forth & so on. I’m not saying they can’t get value for him. I’m saying what’s your plan?..
One plan might look like
Coby, Vooch, Kev Huerter & Chi’s 2025 1st to Atl
Trae, Niang & LAL’s 2025 1st to Chi
Pat Williams, 2 future 2nds & cash to Cha
Nurkic to Chi
That’s laughable. Want ZERO pat of Trae . Dump him somewhere else . He’s cancer. Coby is a team player. Vucevic will be traded alone. Huerter also. Why would we trade for Cancer? What no Simmons in that deal? LMAO. If you’re going for cancer you might as well toss in ALS too. Too funny.
Lol still waiting on your plan…
A haul is quite a strong word. He would fetch back a good 1st and maybe a young flyer. Considering his contract will be needed to be extended teams won’t pay too much. One year left in his deal at a great # of $12 mil means he will wait for free agency. Take what you can get or sign and trade him the offseason after next.
Again, who is giving up a good 1st & a young player for him? My Hawks could use a scoring guard off the bench but the most id give for Coby is Niang & the Lakers pick. Actually I guess I could throw in Niko Djurisic if you gotta have a young flyer
Uncle : disagree. Better keep him. I believe he can be great robin. Trade a superstar. I dont believe akme can make a good draft.
Your plan about cap space and Giddey and Buzelis seems like the right plan.
Your assessment that Ayo is worth a 1st is laughably out of touch with reality.
i dont disagree— i just think its hard to put a value on coby rn. u would have to find a playoff team that needs somebody like him but those teams FRP arent as appealing. a non playoff team doesnt really need him and wouldnt give up the picks so its tricky
They never won with LaVine like they have been winning these past few games with Coby…
Im guessing you put those ellipsis bc you knew this was cap. Bulls were 27-11 & leading the East after this 46pt blowout of Detroit. Lonzo was already hurt tho & only played 2 more games that season. This is just extremely common in here tho. Guys just making up stuff as they go with zero regard to facts, logic & history… link to m.youtube.com
Mike, I agree 100%. 1/12M and he’ll be entering in his prime at 25 would be a huge win for us. Ayo won’t get us a late 1st. He’s coming off an injury so there’s no real value for him until next year. I’m worried about this cap space you are mentioning. Remember Krause said the same thing in 99 and we had to settle for Corey Benjamin and god awful free agents. In another words, having cap space could be reckless because we have a front office who doesn’t prioritize culture/chemistry from the get go. We need to build a culture and foundation with players first. It’s a players league, always has always will be. If we can get lucky in the draft and maybe even get Dylan Harper, then I will be satisfied. I think they’ll match Giddey and see what his market is out there. They won’t trade Patrick Williams because they don’t want to admit it was a franchise altering draft pick and extension that crippled us either.
I have no plan for this team but I don’t see any light at the end of the tunnel either. We are doomed and don’t let anyone fool you.
Whether you know how to use Cap Space or not if you want to get better in this league in a hurry you need Cap Space. And more importantly, After you get some, You have to maintain it. This teams management went off in a blaze of glory and Maxed out their cap space for 4 years within 10 minutes of their first Free Agency. Ball, DDR, LaVine, Caruso all got above value deals. Not that they weren’t good players, It was just they had no room to add in case of injuries and guess what? They got injured. They should have added slowly and gradually but they pushed their chips all in on the first poker hand an busted. If they didn’t learn anything, And still work here, Well we all know who’s fault that is. As for Ayo you could certainly get a late 1st rounder for him. What Playoff team is going get a shut down guard who has improved his shot every year late in the 1st round? A: Nobody. He was an early 2nd round pick. You’re telling me I can’t get a late 1st rounder for an inexpensive finished product? And as far as his injury goes it was a shoulder injury which should be no big deal. not like he tore an ACL. And that poster Sankara still leads the drivel brigade in trade ideas. All of his trade proposals are completely idiotic.
I have no problem with what you said Mike, and I agree those trade proposals were hilarious. I stopped reading them after he said “if I’m DC I already have Poole. ”
I died laughing. Like he is the only one on here who will justify Poole is more valuable than Coby.
The fact is the Bulls are in a pivotal off season in their future. They have to extend Giddey. And the fact is this is the off season you have to make your Coby decision. If you let his contract ride out you risk losing him for nothing. If you want to keep him you have to extend him THIS SUMMER. So what’s he going to ask for? I’m guessing he’s not giving Ole Jerry the hometown discount to stay. It’s gonna be a Max deal or close to one. So you’re going to extend 2 players and wipe out most of the Cap space you get by trading Vuj and or Huerter and or Collins? And what about Huerter and Collins? Can’t let them just play out their deals after they reclaimed their value a bit. You keep them? Trade them at the deadline? This is a lot of options that a FO that has shown no known ability to make them has in front of them. I told that drivel monster what my plan was. he just can’t read. Keep Buzelis and Giddey and build around them. I couldn’t have been clearer. His plan is to trade our 1st round pick, Coby and Vuj for an overpaid POS. The object is to get more 1st round picks not less. Rather than make his stupid deal I’d overpay Coby make the draft pick and trade Vuj by himself and consider myself a winner.
And to clarify, I’m not talking about 2032 draft picks. I’m talking about non conditional I can actually make them draft picks this millennium.
Coby always played better without LaVine and he has turned it up a notch this season. I dont see why he cant have a season putting up 25-27ppg. Some players take longer to develop and thats not a bad thing and it doesnt necessarily mean they wont keep it up.
I dont see why the Bulls wouldnt invest in keeping White. Unless they find someone better, there is no reason to move him at all. Also, they havent really won games like this since the 2022 season, so why move away from something that has been working??