Coby White

Bulls Notes: White, Smith, Buzelis, Young

February 21st, 2025 at 10:03am CST by Arthur Hill

The Bulls are in the unusual position of both collapsing and holding onto a play-in spot, writes Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. Chicago dropped its fifth straight game Thursday night in New York, falling to 22-34 overall. However, the weakness of the East leaves the Bulls with a game-and-a-half lead over Philadelphia and Brooklyn in the play-in race, and coach Billy Donovan isn’t interested in tanking the rest of the season.

“I think at some point, you gotta be able to talk about winning,” Donovan said. “The loss of DeMar (DeRozan), Alex (Caruso) and Zach (LaVine), in terms of the scoring and how great those guys are as players, losing those types of guys makes it challenging. But there is a responsibility for the guys that are playing. How can they find a way to do things to impact the outcome of the game? You’ve got to be accountable for those things.”

The absence of stars has caused opposing defenses to focus more on sixth-year guard Coby White, who had been a complementary scorer up until now. After Thursday’s overtime loss, White talked about how he handled late-game situations and the need to adapt to different looks.

“They were mixing up coverages,” White said. “They were blitzing, then not coming back, so I was just trying not to force it and let the game come to me. (Josh) Giddey had it going, (Lonzo Ball) had it going, (Nikola Vucevic) had it going, so take advantage of those moments. If that’s how they’re going to play me, then I have to be more of a playmaker, screening, those types of things. It’s definitely been a difference, but it’s something you’ve got to get adjusted to.”

There’s more on the Bulls:

Backup big man Jalen Smith was ruled out of Thursday’s game after taking a shoulder to the face from Karl-Anthony Towns in the second quarter, per Julia Poe of The Chicago Tribune. Smith dropped to the court after the contact, and Towns tumbled on top of him. Poe notes that the injury enabled Zach Collins to play 15 minutes in his second game with the team, but he produced just two points while missing all four of his shots from the field.
Matas Buzelis is hoping to make a late run at Rookie of the Year honors, Poe adds in a separate story. No clear favorite has emerged in this year’s race, and Buzelis, who was recently moved into the starting lineup, believes he has a chance to win over some voters. “I would like to win that award for sure,” he said. “I also want to win as many games as possible. But you know, if you win the games, then you’ll be in that conversation.”
The two-way contract that Jahmir Young signed this week will cover next season as well, per Keith Smith of Spotrac (Twitter link).

Bulls Notes: Ball, Tanking, Roster Keepers, Williams

February 19th, 2025 at 6:17pm CST by Arthur Hill

Loyalty factored into Lonzo Ball‘s decision to accept a two-year, $20MM extension from the Bulls, writes Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. The second year is a club option, and if the Bulls exercise it, Ball’s total salary for the next two seasons will be less than the $21.4MM he’s making this year. It’s his way of repaying the team for believing in him while he was sidelined with knee issues for two and a half seasons.

“Just the overall picture,” Ball explained. “The doctor being out here, so not having to deal with the rehab process like I have the last couple years, the relationship I have with the front office, the coaching staff, the young guys here, it all made sense for me to stay. That’s what I wanted ultimately, and we were able to come to an agreement.”

The announcement of the extension was somewhat of a surprise considering that Ball had been heavily involved in trade rumors leading up to the February 6 deadline. He was also headed toward free agency this summer, which could have resulted in a much larger payday, but he prefers the stability of staying in Chicago.

“I’m in trade talks every year so that’s not a new thing to me, but I expressed to my agent (Rich Paul) that I wanted to stay, and they wanted to have me,” Ball said. “They stayed with me for probably the toughest journey in my life so far, so I was just trying to get back, man, and be loyal to who was loyal to me. I was brought up like that my whole life. I’m really big on family and I feel like it’s family here.”

There’s more on the Bulls:

The front office may regret not fully embracing a tanking strategy at the deadline, Cowley states in a separate story. Chicago sent Zach LaVine to Sacramento, but held onto Ball and veteran center Nikola Vucevic, sending mixed signals about which direction the franchise is headed. Cowley advocates emulating the 9-45 Wizards, as well as the Rockets and Pistons, who were able to quickly rebuild after tanking in recent seasons. Beyond having a better shot at Cooper Flagg, the top prize in this year’s draft, Cowley points out that there will be three potential franchise players in the 2026 class.
In another Sun-Times piece, Cowley tries to determine which players from the current roster should return next season. His list includes Ball, restricted free agent Josh Giddey, rookie Matas Buzelis, Jalen Smith and either Coby White or Ayo Dosunmu.
Patrick Williams will miss Thursday’s game at New York with soreness in his right quadriceps tendon, according to K.C. Johnson of Chicago Sports Network (Twitter link). Williams banged knees with another player in the final game before the All-Star break, but the injury doesn’t appear serious as he was able practice without restrictions on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Begley’s Latest: Magic, White, Vucevic, Smart, Knicks

February 6th, 2025 at 8:19am CST by Luke Adams

The Magic are among the teams that were talking to the Bulls about guard Coby White earlier this week, sources familiar with the situation tell Ian Begley of SNY.tv. It’s unclear if the two sides remain engaged in conversations.

White, who turns 25 later this month, has developed into a reliable backcourt scorer over the last couple seasons and is averaging 18.5 points, 4.6 assists, and 3.3 rebounds per game for Chicago in 2024/25. He’s also a solid three-point shooter, having made at least 37.2% of his attempts from beyond the arc in each of the past four seasons. That would appeal to an Orlando team that ranks last in the NBA in three-point makes and three-point percentage.

As K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network tweets, the Bulls have a crowded backcourt and may be looking to trade one or more of their guards either before Thursday’s deadline or during the offseason. None of them are on long-term deals, but White, Ayo Dosunmu, Dalen Terry, and newly extended Lonzo Ball are all under contract for next season, while Jevon Carter will likely pick up his player option and Josh Giddey will be controllable as a restricted free agent.

Here’s more from Begley ahead of today’s deadline:

As of Wednesday, the Bulls maintained a high asking price for Nikola Vucevic. Begley reports that Chicago wants a first-round pick that isn’t too heavily protected and wouldn’t turn into second-rounders if it doesn’t convey.
Several teams have spoken to the Grizzlies about possible Marcus Smart trades, according to Begley, who notes that moving off of Smart’s $21.6MM guaranteed salary for 2025/26 would put Memphis in better position to re-sign restricted free agent Santi Aldama and potentially to extend star big man Jaren Jackson Jr.
The Knicks still hadn’t engaged in substantial Mitchell Robinson trade talks as of Wednesday night, Begley writes. If they don’t make any additional details beyond their Jericho Sims/Delon Wright swap, the Knicks would remain on track to add a 15th man under the hard cap as of March 1. In that scenario, Begley expects G League standouts T.J. Warren and Chuma Okeke to receive consideration.

Central Notes: Middleton, Antetokounmpo, Bucks, Bulls, Ivey

February 5th, 2025 at 7:04pm CST by Arthur Hill

The agreed-upon trade sending Khris Middleton to the Wizards will break up one of the longest partnerships in recent NBA history, writes Eric Nehm of The Athletic. Nehm notes that Middleton and Giannis Antetokounmpo both joined the Bucks in 2013 — Middleton in a trade with Detroit after an uneventful rookie season and Antetokounmpo as a little-known draft pick out of Greece. They wound up playing together for nearly 12 years, combining for 738 regular season and playoff games and bringing Milwaukee its first NBA title in half a century.

“For me, it’s a little bit bigger than business, it’s family,” Antetokounmpo said at Wednesday’s shootaround after news of the trade broke. “With a guy that I’ve won a championship with — it’s not only that I’ve won, I’ve lost a lot of times with him. I’ve been in a dark place a lot of times with him. I’ve been in the bus going to a lot of pressure situations with him. … That’s what I remember.”

Injuries to both players prevented them from duplicating the championship they captured in 2021. Middleton in particular has suffered repeated physical issues and has been limited to 23 games this season after undergoing surgery on both ankles.

Even though they’re no longer teammates, Antetokounmpo said his friendship with Middleton will last beyond their playing days.

“I know it’s business, but for me, Khris is my brother,” he added. “I’m going to have a relationship with him after basketball. It kind of hurts, but at the end of the day, I understand the business side of things, and I’m still going to show up to work and do my job until it’s my time to dip.”

There’s more from the Central Division:

The Middleton deal brings the Bucks about $300K below the second apron and will have future benefits as well, notes Frank Madden of BrewHoop (Twitter link). With Middleton’s $34MM player option no longer on the books for next season, Milwaukee projects to be $31MM under the first apron. Madden points out that gives the team access to the non-taxpayer mid-level exception, even if Bobby Portis and Pat Connaughton exercise their player options.
Coach Billy Donovan said the Bulls aren’t done pursuing deals after sending Zach LaVine to Sacramento on Monday, per Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic. Mayberry notes that Nikola Vucevic, Lonzo Ball, Coby White and Patrick Williams have all been mentioned in rumors, but nobody is certain who will be leaving ahead of tomorrow’s deadline. “I already know I’m not untouchable,” White said. “I like being in Chicago, but it’s out of my control. That’s up to the front office and how they view me. As long as I’m here, I’m here to compete, play hard, lead and do anything I can to help win.”
Pistons guard Jaden Ivey recently posted a video of himself walking underwater to his Instagram account, relays Jared Ramsey of The Detroit Free Press. Aquatic therapy is part of Ivey’s treatment as he works to recover from a broken left fibula.

Separate Deals Involving Bulls’ Nikola Vucevic Fall Through

February 4th, 2025 at 10:52pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Bulls were able to move Zach LaVine before Thursday’s deadline, but they’re having a tougher time dealing center Nikola Vucevic.

Citing multiple sources, The Chicago Sun-Times’ Joe Cowley reports that two separate deals involving Vucevic fell apart on Tuesday. One of Cowley’s sources stressed that the situation remains fluid.

HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto reported earlier on Tuesday that the Lakers and Warriors are among Vucevic’s rumored suitors. It’s not certain whether the two deals the Bulls were trying to put together occurred with those two teams.

Vucevic isn’t the only player the Bulls are looking to move. They’re also fielding trade offers for Coby White and Lonzo Ball, among others. The players they acquired in the LaVine trade with Sacramento and San Antonio — Zach Collins, Tre Jones and Kevin Huerter — are being held out because one or more of them could be attached in a package if a bigger deal materializes, Cowley adds.

Despite the uncertainty, the Bulls defeated Miami, 133-124. on Tuesday. Vucevic, Ball and White were all in the starting lineup and played anywhere from 29 to 33 minutes.

Vucevic has one more year remaining on his contract. He’ll make $21.5MM next season. Ball has an expiring contract, while White has one more year left on his deal.

Head coach Billy Donovan acknowledged that a lot could happen before Thursday’s deadline. The franchise has grown weary of being stuck in mediocrity.

“You’ve got to be able to have a partner in that to make things happen,” Donovan said. “I still think there’s a long process in this quite honestly. You have a few more days left in this (trade deadline) period, you’re going to move into the draft, move into free agency in July, so there’s going to be windows to make these things happen. ’m all for doing what’s best for the organization. All the way from top to bottom everybody felt the same way. We’re kind of in the middle here and we had to make a shift and do something, and that’s been the goal to try and get that done.”

Central Notes: Siakam, Bickerstaff, Horton-Tucker, White, Garland

January 30th, 2025 at 9:36am CST by Dana Gauruder

Pascal Siakam enhanced his case for All-Star consideration with a 37-point performance against the Pistons on Wednesday. The Pacers forward is averaging 20.5 points, 7.3 rebounds and 3.5 assists. Siakam has been selected to the All-Star Game twice during his career. The reserves will be revealed during a TNT broadcast tonight.

“He’s unbelievable,” point guard Tyrese Haliburton told Dustin Dopirak of the Indianapolis Star. “In the mid-range, he’s really tough to guard. Ever since he’s got here, that low post and mid post has been one of the most efficient shots in basketball. Keep feeding him, he gets the ball in the right spots. We played a lot of two-man game today. He just stayed with the ball and that allowed me to get him the ball and get him open shots.”

We have more from the Central Division:

The Pistons‘ 133-119 loss to Indiana was their third straight after starting out a five-game road trip with a pair of victories. Things got heated, as Isaiah Stewart was ejected for a flagrant foul, while coach J.B. Bickerstaff and a couple of players picked up technicals. It’s perhaps a signal that the old Detroit-Indiana rivalry has restarted. “Our guys care and compete at a high level,” Bickerstaff said. “There is no opponent that we are going to shy away from. We are going to be who we are. We are going to earn the respect of this league, whoever it is. Everybody is going to respect the Pistons and the way we compete.”
Talen Horton-Tucker suffered a left shin injury during the Bulls loss to Boston on Wednesday, the team tweets. On the flip side, Coby White returned from a four-game absence due to a bone bruise in his left ankle. He started and played 31 minutes, contributing 16 points, Julia Poe of the Chicago Tribune notes.
The Cavaliers rested Darius Garland and had only 10 players in uniform for their game against Miami on Wednesday, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (subscription required). It didn’t matter, as they never trailed in a 126-106 romp that featured a 34-point outing from Donovan Mitchell.

Bulls’ Coby White To Return Against Celtics

January 29th, 2025 at 5:50pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

In a bit of a surprise, Bulls head coach Billy Donovan told reporters that guard Coby White is set to return from an injury absence on Wednesday against the Celtics, per K.C. Johnson of Chicago Sports Network (Twitter link).

White has been on the shelf with a right ankle bone bruise since January 19.

Chicago is in the midst of a three-game road trip. As recently as Tuesday, Donovan had expected White to at least miss the Boston clash, as he apparently has been dealing with some pain in the ankle fairly recently.

All-Star shooting guard Zach LaVine, meanwhile, will be away from the team Wednesday while he awaits the birth of his third child. According to Julia Poe of The Chicago Tribune, LaVine may end up missing the Bulls’ entire three-game road trip, which runs through Sunday.

The 20-27 Bulls are currently the No. 10 seed in the Eastern Conference, just one game ahead of Philadelphia for the East’s final play-in tournament spot. The team has gone 2-2 in its four games without White.

The 6’5″ vet is averaging 18.2 points, 4.7 assists and 3.4 rebounds through 40 healthy contests this season. White has posted a .437/.364/.874 shooting line.

The 24-year-old almost instantly outperformed the three-year, $36MM free agent deal he inked with Chicago ahead of the 2023/24 season as a restricted free agent. Provided he stays healthy, White could be in line for a major raise when that agreement expires in 2026.

Bulls Notes: Williams, Buzelis, Terry, White, LaVine, Vucevic

January 28th, 2025 at 7:44am CST by Luke Adams

Bulls head coach Billy Donovan made what Julia Poe of The Chicago Tribune describes as a “long overdue” change to his starting lineup on Monday vs. Denver, moving forward Patrick Williams to the bench and elevating guard Ayo Dosunmu in his place.

As Poe notes, Chicago’s guard-heavy starting five allowed the club to better match up with a Nuggets team that was starting three guards of its own (Jamal Murray, Russell Westbrook, and Christian Braun), so there’s no guarantee Donovan will stick with the lineup change going forward. Still, the results were compelling.

The slumping Bulls picked up just their second win in their last nine games, registering a 129-121 victory over Denver, and Williams’ +16 mark in 28 minutes off the bench was a personal season high. After contributing 11 points and eight rebounds, the fifth-year forward – who had started 35 of 36 games before Monday – admitted to reporters that he didn’t mind being moved to the bench (Twitter video link via Poe).

“I would say yeah,” Williams said when asked if he’s more comfortable in a reserve role,” but I wouldn’t say I’m uncomfortable with starting. The second unit needs different things than the first unit. I’ve always tried to be a player that tries to fill any gap. I’m not trying to say that I’m one thing. I’m just trying to be a basketball player.”

As Poe writes, Williams wasn’t the only Bulls youngster who looked more comfortable in the adjusted rotation. Rookie Matas Buzelis was the first player off the bench and logged 20 minutes, his highest mark in over a month. He chipped in nine points and four rebounds and was a +10 during his time on the court. Dalen Terry also had a good night, with 13 points in 13 minutes and a +11 plus/minus rating.

The Bulls are expected to be without a couple key players when their three-game road trip begins on Wednesday in Boston, so Williams may end up being moved back to the starting five out of necessity, Poe writes. But she argues that if the Bulls want to try to boost the forward’s trade value ahead of next Thursday’s deadline, it might make sense to play him more often with the second unit, where he seems more comfortable.

Here’s more on the Bulls:

There’s “optimism” that Coby White, who was been dealing with a bone bruise in his right ankle, will be able to return during Chicago’s three-game road trip, Donovan said on Monday (Twitter link via K.C. Johnson of Chicago Sports Network). However, White likely won’t be active vs. Boston on Wednesday. “A few days ago, I think he was having a little bit of pain there, but that’s kind of subsided,” Donovan said, per Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. “He still has some things he has to do in terms of more movement, but [he’s] certainly closer to playing.”
Zach LaVine will be out on Wednesday for personal reasons. According to Cowley, LaVine’s absence is related to the impending birth of his third child.
In a story for The Tribune, Poe checks in on where things stand with several of the Bulls trade candidates, evaluating which players are most likely to be moved and what the team could realistically expect to receive in return. Discussing Nikola Vucevic, Poe contends that it’s realistic to expect a first-round pick in exchange for the veteran big man, who is having his best season since he arrived in Chicago in 2021.
In case you missed it, we passed along several Bulls-related items on Monday, including the fact that the team has no untouchables in trade talks. Additionally, the Bulls and Suns reportedly discussed Bradley Beal, but the Phoenix guard is said to be uninterested in waiving his no-trade clause to go to Chicago.

No Untouchables In Bulls’ Trade Talks

January 27th, 2025 at 2:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Zach LaVine, Nikola Vucevic, and Lonzo Ball have been the Bulls players most frequently cited this season as trade candidates, but head of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas would be open to moving just about anyone on the roster if he thinks the deal is in the team’s best long-term interests and helps Chicago keep its top-10 protected 2025 first-round pick, says Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times.

Cowley identifies Matas Buzelis as the only exception, but clarifies that the rookie forward isn’t “completely untouchable” either.

The report doesn’t come as a real surprise. Chicago has also reportedly made forward Patrick Williams available, and Cowley suggested last month that guards Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu aren’t off the table in trade talks.

The Bulls also aren’t likely to be especially attached to reserves like Jalen Smith, Jevon Carter, Chris Duarte, Torrey Craig, and Talen Horton-Tucker, while youngsters Dalen Terry and Julian Phillips haven’t established themselves as long-term keepers.

That leaves Josh Giddey, who was viewed as Chicago’s probable point guard of the future when the team acquired him last summer from Oklahoma City in exchange for Alex Caruso. Giddey didn’t sign a rookie scale extension last fall and has had an up-and-down first season as a Bull, but I’d still be a little surprised if he’s moved by next Thursday, given that his value on an expiring contract would be limited.

A source tells Cowley that Karnisovas has come down to some extent on what teams viewed as “unrealistic” asking prices for his top trade chips earlier in the season, though that doesn’t mean he’s simply willing to sell off players to the highest bidder.

Discussing the latest on Vucevic within a trade rumor round-up on his Substack, Marc Stein of The Stein Line reports that the Bulls are still seeking a first-round pick in return for the veteran center. Stein describes the Warriors as “at the front of the line” of Vucevic suitors, but says Golden State has been unwilling to offer more than second-round capital to this point.

As for LaVine, he was at the center of one of the season’s earlier notable trade rumors when a report in mid-December indicated that the Nuggets had real interest in the Bulls guard. However, LaVine has been on a tear since then, further increasing his value by staying healthy and averaging 27.0 points per game on .524/.467/.786 shooting over his past 18 games. Nuggets guard Jamal Murray has heated up too, putting up 21.3 PPG and 5.9 APG with a .485/.404/.913 shooting line during the same time frame.

As Bennett Durando of The Denver Post writes, Murray’s resurgence will likely make “big-game hunting less of a priority” for the Nuggets, while LaVine’s heater will make it more difficult for Denver to meet Chicago’s asking price. So the odds of a trade sending LaVine to the Nuggets look slimmer than they did a month ago.

In case you missed it, we wrote about another Bulls-related rumor earlier today, passing along word that Chicago has talked to the Suns about Bradley Beal.

Bulls Notes: Buzelis, White, Giddey

January 23rd, 2025 at 2:53pm CST by Rory Maher

The Bulls have several young players on their roster, but only rookie forward Matas Buzelis has the raw talent to potentially change the team’s trajectory, argues Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. However, the 20-year-old from Chicago will have to improve in a number of different areas for that to happen.

“The one thing is, he has earned his minutes, which has been a positive,” head coach Billy Donovan said. “He has terrific upside and ability and talent. But he’s young.

“It’s kind of what we were talking about with [Patrick Williams]. All these guys get into a situation where when they come into the league at an extremely young age, there’s a pass given on, ‘They’re young. They have to learn.’ And rightfully so. But after a period of time, you have to be able to do this. And with Matas, [it’s] the consistency part from him of understanding the league, understanding personnel, understanding who he’s guarding.

“I’ve been really encouraged with the way he has responded, and I do think he’ll continue to improve. He’s a worker and gets in there and competes. But as a young guy, he has to learn.”

Here’s more on the Bulls:

As Julia Poe of The Chicago Tribune writes, Buzelis has shown flashes of tantalizing upside this season, but the No. 11 overall pick ranks just 32nd among rookies in minutes per game (12.8 in 42 appearances). After logging roughly his season average in the first half of Monday’s win against the Clippers, he didn’t play at all in the final two quarters, a trend that has been happening for some time. He says he only has himself to blame for that, per Poe. “I deserved it,” Buzelis said. “I was minus-11, wasn’t making shots, defensively messed up, missed a few offensive rebounds. It’s part of the learning process. I can’t get frustrated (with playing time) when I’m the one not playing well.”
Guard Coby White met with a foot doctor on Tuesday after undergoing imaging, and while nothing is structurally wrong with his ankle, he’s unlikely to suit up on Thursday at Golden State, Donovan said (Twitter link via K.C. Johnson of Chicago Sports Network). White, who missed Monday’s game, is officially listed as questionable with right ankle soreness.
Josh Giddey has had an up-and-down first season with the Bulls, struggling at times on defense, which is one of the primary reasons he hasn’t been a consistent part of closing lineups. That changed on Monday, when the fourth-year guard put up 18 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists in 40 minutes in the win vs. the Clips. The 22-year-old will be a restricted free agent in the summer, and he admits he sometimes wonders about the uncertainty of his contract situation, according to Cowley. “I’m very happy here,” Giddey said. “I love the players, the coaches, everyone has been great here. I’d be lying if I said I never think about it. Every player in the country thinks about it, but you can’t let it impact the way you play. It’s a business. The contract will be taken care of at the end of the year, whatever it is, how long it is, where it is? It’s kind of out of my hands by then, so just play the season and do my best.”

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